Binda Blinda
by Shiuta-san
Summary: Hitsugaya Hiori is a girl who can't remember anything about her past. But when Tatsuki's family takes her out of foster care and adopts her she meets Kurosaki Ichigo, a boy with new found Shinigami powers, and everything slowly begins to become clear. IchigoxOC
1. Preface

**So after trying to get this story right several times, I think maybe I've got a bit of a better grasp on it. So here's my third attempt at a decent Bleach fic. I tried my best to keep events in order, although the bleachverse is pretty complicated... Read and review!**

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><p>"Hey. Wake up." Kuchiki Byakuya stood stoically in the door frame, his cold eyes gazing down at the sleeping girl on the floor. Her hair was a deep shade of blood red, which was tangled from her sleep. Byakuya barely suppressed a sigh before stalking over to the woman, nudging her shoulder with the tip of his toe. She groaned, shoving him away roughly before opening her eyes.<p>

"What the hell, Byakuya?" she growled, pushing herself out of her bed. The Kuchiki frowned in distaste, watching as the young woman jumped out of bed, wearing only a slightly over sized shirt. He turned away quickly, averting his eyes. "Don't be so shy." the girl muttered, slipping her arms inside the shirt and pulling her Hakama on under it.

"Honestly, you've been asleep for practically the whole day."

She slid out of the shirt, now fully dressed, and began to pull on the long white socks that she wore with her sandals. "I know you don't like me, Byakuya, but Captain Kuchiki is confident in my talents." Byakuya said nothing, merely continued to stare out of the open doors. "You're still seeing her, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Byakuya snapped, sending an icy glare her way. She chuckled darkly.

"Yeah you do," she replied, sliding her feet into her sandals and grabbing her Zanpakuto from the floor beside her bed. "That woman from Rukongai- Don't think I don't know about her, Byakuya." she said, smirking slightly as a flustered expression crossed over his face.

"Captain Kuchiki wishes to speak with you," he muttered, swiftly changing the subject. The girl sighed lazily, running her thin fingers through her hair.

"How troublesome."

"I still don't see how you became a Lieutenant." Byakuya murmured, and the girl chuckled softly.

"What can I tell ya', I'm gifted." she replied, pulling on her Lieutenant's arm band with the symbol for Division Six engraved on the small piece of wood. Byakuya held back on rolling his eyes, settling instead for a heavy sigh and a shake of the head. Hitsugaya Hiori was well known for her lazy personality, and she rarely did anything that she wasn't out right instructed to perform. It still baffled him how she had gotten the Lieutenant's position in his grandfather's division of Gotei Thirteen. "What does the Captain need t'see me for?" she asked, tying her sword on her back with a long cloth that was similar to her hair in color.

"I don't know those sorts of things," Byakuya replied, shrugging indifferently. "Your brother was looking for you, as well." he continued, and Hiori grumbled to herself.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll stop by the academy later." she said, pushing past Byakuya to get to the door. "Oh, and Byakuya?"

"Hm?" he replied gruffly, not meeting her eyes. A wide smirk spread over her face, and her gray eyes met his for a brief moment.

"You should talk to Captain about that Rukongai girl- God knows you don't wanna have me be the only woman in your life" she said, snickering. "Well, aside from Yoruichi." and with that she turned to go, her long red hair nearly whipping Byakuya in the face as she turned to go. Tensions were always high between the young Kuchiki and Hiori- It was a well known fact. The simple fact was that Byakuya didn't approve of someone so careless and absentminded as she was becoming the Lieutenant of Division Six, taking the place of his own father. But after graduating the academy, her talents seemed to have made quite an impression on the old man, Captain Kuchiki Ginrei.

A young boy with dark hair was leaning up against the side of a building, standing up a little straighter the closer Hiori got to him. He wore a black choker around his neck, with arm bands wrapping around his upper arm to match. His dark hair stuck out in odd angles all over his head, and his eyes were slightly narrower than the average person.

"Hiori, Toshiro is looking for you." he said seriously, staring up at the red haired girl as she walked by.

"Ah. Hey there, Shuhei," she muttered, not pausing at all as she made her way past him. He frowned, catching up to her and matching her pace. She peered down at him from the corners of her eyes. He was several inches shorter than she was, his spiky hair making him appear to be nearly the same height, even though he was around the same age as her younger brother. "What the hell is that?" she asked, making a face and eyeing the tattoo on his cheek.

"A tribute." he replied curtly, his eyes shifting and meeting with hers.

"Sixty nine is a tribute?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and folding her arms. "The hell kind of tribute is that? You _do_ realize what sixty nine can-"

"Do you give Kensei that kind of crap about his tattoo?" Shuhei snapped, his frown deepening.

"Ah, so that's the tribute." she said, continuing to walk again. "That makes so much more sense."

"You're gross,"

"Says the boy with 'Sixty-nine' tattooed on his face." she retorted, adjusting her arm band slightly as she walked. "Well go wander off and bother some other Lieutenant, I've got shit to do," Hiori said, waving her hand dismissively. Shuhei scowled.

"You're always so bossy," he muttered, slowing down and turning to his left. "You and Toshiro are so alike."

"I'm telling 'im you think he's bossy." she called back, and she had a sneaking suspicion that the boy was flipping her off while her back was turned. The sun was lowering in the sky, and she finally made it to the Captain's quarters, where Kuchiki Genrei sat outside, waiting for her expectantly.

"You're starting to make me regret appointing you, Hitsugaya," he said sternly as she appeared behind him. She bit her lip apologetically, nodding her head slightly to show she understood. "You aren't concentrating on things, Hitsugaya. You're my Lieutenant- I shouldn't have to have my grandson go and wake you up at seven at night," he scolded.

"Yes, sir," she said stiffly, brushing her side fringe out of her eyes. Her Captain nodded, standing up from his place on the floor. The man towered over her by about a foot and a half, and that accompanied by the incredible Spiritual Pressure that the elderly man possessed always succeeded in making Hiori feel extremely intimidated, even though she had always been told that her own Spiritual Pressure was something to be marveled at.

"We sent some people from Division Nine to look in to those Rukongai disappearances," he began, walking passed her and placing his palms on the railing. "But they have yet to return." he said seriously, turning his head as Hiori moved to her place next to him. "They've called an emergency meeting- I had half a mind to leave without you. We might be late, now." he explained, and Hiori bowed her head apologetically.

"It won't happen again, Captain Kuchiki," she assured him as he turned to walk down the stairs. Hiori followed along by his side, wringing her hands nervously in front of her. Once inside, she took her place between Shihoin Yoruichi and her Captain, her eyes carefully studying the wood grain on the floor nervously. She only half listened as Yamamoto spoke urgently, giving the Captains a quick overview of the situation.

"Allow me to go!" A sudden yell broke through Hiori's trance, and she lifted her head up, her eyes falling on Urahara Kisuke. His panic-stricken face now had a light sheen of sweat, and Hiori eyed him nervously. She had known Kisuke for some time, and had always looked up to the man, especially because of his collected personality. She had never seen him look so troubled. "I've already sent out my Lieutenant, she-"

"Urahara!" a voice barked, and Hiori snapped her head in the direction of Yoruichi. "By going, you'll just embarrass her- You were the one who ordered her to go, after all." she said, hr voice now level. It was quiet for a moment as Yamamoto debated internally on the best method of approach.

"Fifth Squad Captain Hirako, Seventh Squad Captain Aikawa, Third Squad Captain Otoribashi, Eighth Squad Vice-Captain Yadomaru, Sixth Squad Vice-Captain Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Ushouda from Kido Corps." he finally said, and Hiori's heart jumped nervously as her name was spoken. She looked up at her Captain, who gave her a reassuring nod. She stepped forward, along with the others mentioned, and the Captain Commander gestured with his hand for them to go. She shot one last look at her Captain, hoping that perhaps something like this would be enough to convince him to allow her to keep her place as Lieutenant. The next moment, they were gone, Flash Stepping to the disappearance site.

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><p>"Shinji!" Lisa called, leading the rest of the investigation team out of the woods and into the clearing where Shinji stood, having just deflected a possibly fatal attack from their currently unknown enemy. Hiori made her way up behind the short blonde girl, who was standing directly behind Shinji.<p>

"Hiyori, are you alright?" she muttered, and the small girl shook her hands away roughly.

"O-of course I am, stupid, why wouldn't I be?" she replied, and Hiori shrugged, turning her attention to the monster standing opposite them. Her eyes traveled down its body, coming to rest on a distinctive tattoo in the middle of its chest.

"Sixty... Nine...?" she murmured, taking a step closer and looking towards Shinji. "Captain Hirako, that's not-"

"Yes. It does look like Kensei," he replied, eyeing the creature cautiously. "But I don't recognize this Reiatsu." he muttered, and Hiori shivered as her large gray eyes met with the flaming red ones of the monster.

"Shinji, is that Kensei?" Lisa gasped, the rest of the team finally having gotten close enough to read the large, inky black tattoo that was engraved in the monster's skin.

"He's... Just like a Hollow," Rose muttered, his eyes growing wide as he looked the creature up and down.

"So it would appear... But even if it is Kensei, if we don't draw our swords, we'll die," Shinji said, and Hiori reached to her back, drawing her Zanpakuto. Kensei lunged, and Hiori could feel her bones creak in protest under the astounding Spiritual Pressure.

"**_Thaw, Amaterasu!_**" she roared, and her sword length grew to match her height, blocking the Kensei-monster's blow. Sparks flew through the air as she attempted to hold him back, and Love leapt into the air, bringing down his Zanpakuto in an attempt to restrain Kensei. Instead, his face made contact with the Hollow's heavy fist, sending him flying back into the air, and the Hollow jumped after him.

"Love!" Shinji screamed, turning back to the others. "Don't just stand there- This isn't Kensei anymore," he said, and Lisa took a running start, swinging her Zanpakuto forward in a desperate attempt to shatter the Hollow mask covering Kensei's face. He blocked it easily, raising his arm to take the blow instead, and at the same time Rose brought down his own blade. Both attacks were easily avoided by the monster, and he threw Rose back towards the ground, where he landed roughly.

Hiori let out a strained growl, releasing her spiritual energy into the jagged edged gap that split her sword down the middle, ending just before the hilt. It shattered, the small pieces of ice scattering into the air and evaporating.

"What're ya' doin', you're defenseless!" Shinji roared, leaping in front of her to stop a crushing blow from the Hollow. It roared, pulling back its fist in preparation for another punch, and Shinji braced himself. It never came. The Hollow toppled to the ground, shrieking at the top of its lungs as a mixture of blood and water poured out from underneath its mask. Hiori's blade re-materialized, and she stuck the tip roughly into the dirt.

"Ushouda, do it now!" she called, and she glanced up into the sky to see Lisa, Rose and Love engaged in a nasty looking fight with Kazahana Mashiro, Kensei's Lieutenant.

"Way of Binding Ninety Nine: Restrain!" he called, forming seals with his fingers. Black bands materialized from the air, large metal blocks digging themselves into the ground to hold them in place as they wrapped around Kensei's body carefully.

"You can do that with no incantation? That's badass..." Shinji muttered, glancing over at Ushouda.

"It was... A stretch..." he replied, breathing heavily. "It's good that Hitsugaya was able to immobilize him with her Shikkai," he said, and Hiori nodded in appreciation. Shinji sighed as the others congregated around him, picking Hiyori up and holding her limp body with one arm.

"What should we do?" he muttered, staring down at the Hollow. "Is there some kinda kido to fix this?" Hiori scoffed reproachfully.

"We don't even know what the hell this is- It's doubtful there's 'some kinda kido' that'll do anything." she said snarkily. She gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "S-sorry, Captain," she said quickly, and Shinji rolled his eyes. Hiori glanced down, eyeing the girl in his arms as her body convulsed. "S-Shinji, I think you should-" An ear piercing scream ripped from the small girl's throat, and she slashed through Shinji's shoulder.

"This thing- Is it contagious?" Hiori growled, backing away from the Hollow-masked Hiyori. Shinji clutched his bleeding shoulder, attempting to quell the blood flow.

"I dunno," he muttered, flinching as a shooting pain went down his arm. "I dunno what the hell this is."

"Hiyori!" Lisa called as the young girl let out a loud roar. Her Hollow mask completely covered her face, and even her Reiatsu was that of a Hollow's. Hiori's eyes widened. Just what was this thing? A minute later, her vision darkened, a completely black something covering her vision. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear. She couldn't smell.

"C... Captain Hirako!" she called, stretching out her arms. There was nothing around her, although she was sure that she had just been standing next to Shinji, not even a foot away from him. Without warning, she heard a crunch as something sharp pierced through her rib cage, and she dropped her Zanpakuto. What was this?

Hiori fell to the ground, opening her eyes, which met with Love's. He was on the ground beside of her, writhing in pain. Hiori gasped, clutching her side and she felt the warm blood seep through her Hakama. Her vision clouded over- She heard someone call out Tosen's name, and she wondered if she and Love were the only two who had been attacked. She strained her eyes, spying Aizen and a young silver haired boy off in the distance. Had they also been sent to investigate?

Her heart rate slowed, and as she shut her eyes she felt something stir in one of the unfamiliar corners of her mind. She could no longer feel the pain in her body, and she thought vaguely that she was most likely dead, and she felt an odd sense of regret welling inside her. The fact that she was feeling regret confused her, as she was now ninety five percent positive that she was dead. Hiori had been unable to visit her younger brother as she had promised.

'No, you aren't dead, Hiori,' hissed a demonic voice. 'You're all mine, now.'


	2. Part 1: Meeting Death & Strawberry

**...**

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><p>"Because we are amorphous, we hold that in reverence."<p>

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><p><strong><em>Binda Blinda: Part 1<em>**

**_The Shinigami_**

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><p>"Hey!" a sharp voice called through the door, knocking loudly. "Hiori, get out here!" The girl inside the room blinked, groaning and wriggling around under her sheets. She still felt groggy, and she had been trying to sleep for hours. She always had trouble sleeping ever since she could remember, but once she started sleeping, she never wanted to stop. She stood up, wobbiling towards the door, turning the handle and yanking it open a little rougher than necessary.<p>

"What?" she grumbled, her half-open eyes staring at the dark haired girl in front of her. She leaned her head against the doorframe, crossing her arms and yawning loudly.

"Good morning to you, too," Tatsuki replied sarcastically, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Mornin'," Hiori said dismissively, rubbing the corners of her eyes with her fingertips.

"Look, I really am sorry, I know you don't-"

"It's fine, Tatsuki, as long as she doesn't-"

"TATSUKI!" A loud voice broke through their conversation. An excited looking girl with walnut colored hair sprinted down the hallway, a large smile adorning her face. Hiori frowned, banging her forehead against her door.

"Kill me now," she muttered, and Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

"What a tragic life you lead," she snapped. Orihime stopped behind Tatsuki, wrapping her arms around her neck and resting her chin on her shoulder. "Anyways, uh..." Tatsuki began, and it was at this point that Hiori noticed the clothes that she was holding in her hands. "My parents are out making the final arrangements- You'll be going to my school from now on," she explained, passing the clothes over to Hiori.

"This is a uniform?" Hiori asked, lifting up the clothing on top. It was a white ironed shirt, and a red tie fell from the pile as she picked it up.

"Yeah, they're taking you out of that school you've been going to," Tatsuki said, and Orihime beamed.

"You'll be going to school with us now!" she chimed happily, and Hiori made a face.

"Oh, joy." she retorted, and Tatsuki glared at her. In normal situations, Tatsuki and Hiori got along, but the fact that Hiori's least favorite person in the whole wide world also happened to be Tatsuki's best friend often caused some tension. Hiori had lived with the Arisawas for two years in foster care, and judging by the fact that hey were now taking her out of the school paid for by the foster care organization, Tatsuki's parents had decided to adopt her.

Hiori bent down, swiping her tie off of the floor before straightening up and closing her bedroom door tightly. She sighed, tossing her uniform lazily on to her bed before slumping down onto her pillow. The only people at Tatsuki's high school that she knew were Orihime, and Tatsuki herself. Standing up again, Hiori walked over to her closet, opening the door quietly and pulling out a pair of tight jeans and a black sweater. Slipping the sweater over her head, she put her hands behind her head and lifted her long hair out from inside her sweater, which hung loosely on her thin frame.

"Hey Hiori, open up, Orihime and I are going to pick up dinner!" Tatsuki called through her door. Hiori groaned, pressing the palms of her hands against her face in annoyance. Why couldn't Orihime ever invite Tatsuki over for a change? Did she love torturing her that much? She slid her feet into a pair of navy blue lace up shoes before checking the time- How the hell had she slept in until eight o'clock? She threw her window wide open, hopping out onto the roof. As she slid the window shut again, a muffled tapping sound reached her ears, and she turned to see a little black cat pressing its paw against her window from within her room.

"Shut up, Cat," she muttered, tapping the glass in front of the cat's face, causing it to sit back down on her bed. Hiori had found the cat shortly after moving in with the Arisawas. She'd never named the cat, and sometimes she was certain that it understood what she was saying- Even know, she was sure that it was glaring at her. Apparently, the cat didn't like being told to shut up.

Hiori clambered towards the edge of the roof, swinging her legs over the edge and shimmying down the gutter drain. She was inches away from landing lightly on the ground, but she lost her grip and instead landed flat on her back against the damp grass of the Arisawa's lawn. Groaing, she pushed herself up right, rubbing her back gingerly and frowning up at the roof. She had never been a very coordinated person.

She stood up, shoving her hands into her pockets, a sullen expression on her face as she continued to walk down the sidewalk. The sun was slowly setting, and as she rounded the corner she heard the door to Tatsuki's house slam, Orihime's enthusiastic voice filled the open air, something about buying leaks, bean jam, bread and gelatin. Hiori peered back around the corner, giving the large breasted girl a look as they turned and walked away in the opposite direction- What the hell was she planning on making with that? Whatever it was, there was no way she was eating it.

She continued to walk around the neighborhood, her hands in her pockets, the house keys jingling as her fingers brushed against them. Hiori wasn't at all looking forward to transferring to this new high school. Although she didn't have all too many friends at her old school, the fact that she'd have to be in the same class as Inoue Orihime was mildly disturbing. People would ask her questions that she didn't know the answer to, most of them about her past. When it came to Hitsugaya Hiori's past, everything was a blank. She remembered nothing before collapsing in the street and waking up in the hospital.

It was dark now, and Hiori stopped walking. She pressed her back against the concrete wall behind her, glancing up at a flickering street light to her left. She knew she should go home- Tatsuki's parents would be there by now. But she had already slept through the entirety of the day, even missing school, and now she had a huge amount of pent up energy that was making her mind race. And that energy was telling her mind that she couldn't go home yet.

A sudden crash from several blocks away made her jump, her large gray eyes turning in the direction of the sound. A car crash, perhaps? She heard no sirens, and she wondered if anyone was still alive. If no one was around, and the victims were all incapacitated, there would be nobody to call for an ambulance. Hiori pushed herself off of the wall, breaking into a sprint as she moved in the direction of the crash. Several more explosive sounds met her ears, and she paused. There was no way there had been another car crash- Had they exploded? She rounded the corner, and a moment later she froze in shock.

A short dark haired girl was pointing a sword directly at the chest of an orange haired teenager. Both of them looked about her age. Her eyes traveled upwards, and she felt her knees start to shake. An enormous monster with a face that looked like a white clay mask was towering over the two of them, nashing its teeth in anger. She wanted to cry out- Why were they fighting each other when a giant monster was about to rip off their heads?

The girl smiled, and the boy shut his eyes. Hiori's breath caught in her throat, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to let herself witness. The girl's sword ripped through the boy's chest, coming out of his back. She felt bile rise into her mouth, threatening to choke her as she watched the blood drip down the boy's back, and in an instant she was blinded by an explosion of light. She cracked her eyes open, watching as the monster smiled maniacally, and as her eyes opened wider, she saw the monsters arm rip away from its body.

The orange haired boy was standing behind it, a terrifying expression on his face. An enormous sword was strapped on his back, and the monster roared in pain. The dark haired girl had collapsed on the ground, and she was staring at the boy in surprise. Hiori rushed over to the girl, and she was vaguely aware of a stinging sensation running up her side. She grabbed the dark haired girl by the shoulders and pulled her as far away from the monster as possible as the boy unsheathed his sword.

"H-hey, what are you-"

"You can't just sit there!" Hiori snapped, leaning the girl up against the wall and staring back at the monster. "What the hell is that thing?" she whispered, her eyes widening as the boy sliced the monsters leg off at the knee.

"W... You can see it?" Rukia gasped, and Hiori turned back to glare at her, her burgundy hair whipping around her face as the large blade created a rush of wind as the boy swung it through the air.

"How the hell could I _not_ see that... That _thing_?" She turned back to the monster, and she watched in awe as the boy heaved the sword down, slicing through its face.

"Realize the mistake of messing with my family, Fish Face!" he bellowed, and Hiori watched as the creature disappeared. The boy was breathing heavily, and he supported his body by clinging to the hilt of his sword, the tip of which was burried in the black top of the street. Hiori felt a strange sort of energy lingering in the air, but it wasn't going away even though the monster had vanished. Was it this boy?

"Ichi... Ichigo," Rukia muttered, gaping up at the boy as he dragged himself over to them.

"You okay there, Rukia?" he muttered, glancing around. Out of the corner of her eyes, Hiori spotted two young girls laying unconscious on the ground around them. "Who... Who is this?" he muttered, his eyes widening as they fell on the girl's side. Her sweater was ripped and frayed on the side, red blood matching the color of her hair spilling out from the gash in her flesh, staining the black fibers of her sweater. "Hey, you're bleeding." he muttered, slumping down tiredly.

"We really should erase her memory," Rukia muttered, attempting to push herself up but failing miserably, as she was only able to push herself halfway up the wall behind her before sliding back to the ground below. Hiori's eyes widened- They were going to erase her memory? What had she just seen? "She seems to be able to see Hollows as well as Shinigami, since she can see you." she muttered, her eyes meeting with Ichigo's. Hiori looked back and forth between the two of them, not understanding. What were Hollows? Shinigami? And why shouldn't she be able to see this boy?

"She's bleeding- Erasing memories is hardly the problem,"

"We can't let a human in on this, this is much bigger than just you and me, Ichigo." the girl retorted, and Hiori began to edge closer and closer to the corner of the street as the two continued to bicker.

"Shouldn't you at least use your weird Death God magic and fix the bleeding!" Ichigo yelled, pointing his finger at Hiori. Or, that is to say, where Hiori had been previously. "Eh? Where..." Ichigo's eyelids fluttered, and his body suddenly went limp, and he fell to the ground. The girl sighed, looking down at the orange haired boy. Her eyes widened, the sound of wood heels clicking against concrete meeting her ears.

"Well, well, Rukia. This is a bit of a situation, isn't it?"

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><p>"Hiori, what the hell!" Tatsuki screamed, Hiori having just opened the door, bleeding profusely from her side. Tatsuki looked around frantically- Orihime had gone home, and her parents were out eating dinner. "What the hell happened to you?" Hiori cringed, covering her ears to protect them from her incessant screaching.<p>

"Tatsuki, cool it, please?" she muttered, wobbling slightly as she stepped into the kitchen, pulling out a chair and sitting in it heavily.

"Cool it? Are you kidding me, Hiori?" Tatsuki hissed, leaning down beside her and examinging her wound. "Who did this to you?" Hiori shrugged, cringing as she took a breath, the large cut on her side stinging as she moved. Tatsuki sighed angrily, grabbing the hem of Hiori's sweater and pulling it up over her head. "Even your bra is ripped- Hiori, did someone cut you with a _knife_?" She said nothing, simply continued to stare blankly at the refrigerator. "Maybe Kurosaki Clinic will take you- It's late, but they could still be open."

"Kurosaki Clinic?" Hiori asked, glancing up at her sister-figure.

"Yeah, my friend Ichigo's family owns it- He owes me several favors, it'll be-"

"No! No," Hiori snapped, standing up quickly and then doubling over in pain. Flashes of the orange haired boy went through her mind, along with the dark haired girl who'd wanted to erase her memory, and the monster who he had destroyed.

"Hiori, what-"

"I said no!" she replied, grabbing her ruined sweater and pressing it against her cut. "It's late, I'm going to sleep," Tatsuki threw her arms in the air in frustration, grumbling loudly.

"You have _got_ to be kidding," she sighed, turning off the lights in the kitchen. Hiori slammed the door to her room, pressing her back against the wall. Her mind was still racing, she had no idea what had just happened to her. What was more, her adopted sister actually knew that crazed orange-haired, sword-weilding, monster ass kicking teenager. She slid to the ground, burying her head in her arms.

_'You can't remember?'_ Hiori's eyes widened, her head snapping up. The only other thing in her room was her cat, which was sleeping at the end of her bed. _'I'm going to swallow you up, Hiori-chan.'_

Hiori shivered, suddenly feeling as though someone was watching her. Her head was starting to hurt, and it felt as though someone was slowly driving a cork screw into her scull. She sighed heavily, pressing her forehead to her knees, and she felt her cat brush up against her hands. For once, she didn't feel like sleeping.

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><p>Tatsuki stood outside of Hiori's room, her eyes settling on the doorknob. The strange incident the night before had taken her by surprise- Despite Hiori's mysterious disposition, she had known her long enough to know what she was like, and she had been certain she would never be one to get involved with gangs. At least, she had thought she had known her adopted sister well. Sighing heavily, she raised her hand, knocking softly.<p>

"Hiori, you need to get up," she muttered, pressing her forehead against the door. "Hey, Hiori," She raised her voice slightly, grasping the doorknob and throwing it open. "Hey, Hio- Of course," she sighed, running her hand through her spiky dark hair. The large black cat that lived in Hiori's room rubbed up against her ankles, and she smiled down at the creature, patting it on the head before she turned to leave. "_Typical_,"

Hutsugaya Hiori sauntered lazily down the sidewalk, the hood of her black cotton sweatshirt pulled over her head, the light material clinging to her curves. She frowned, kicking a small pebble into the storm drain. She cringed, her still open wound stinging with every move that she made. She had wrapped it earlier that morning with bandages, but she'd done a pretty shitty job- It'd been three in the morning, after all. She hadn't gotten so much as five minutes of sleep the entire night, and she was certain that she was looking pretty rough. Her brick colored hair ran down the front of her body, fanning out over her shoulder and glinting as it caught the morning sunlight.

An hour ago she had debated whether or not to go back to the house, and just be late. It was her first day at Tatsuki's school, after all. But then she had passed by what she now knew to be the Kurosaki Clinic, spying a gigantic hole in the side of the building. The orange haired boy from the night before, Ichigo, had been standing outside with his family. Although he hadn't seen her, she had gotten side tracked and ended up walking into the middle of Karakura town.

Hiori sighed, slumped down on the stairs leading down to the park. A young boy was playing in the sand pit in the middle of the park. Her gray eyes settled on him, watching as he piled sand in front of him. This was a highly disappointing first day of her life in a new school.

Her eyes widened, a sudden pressure threatening to crush her bones. She looked up from the concrete steps, and she had to repress a shudder at what she saw. A spider like monster, all too similar to the one the night before, was slowly creeping up on the young boy. How could he be oblivious to this? An enormous creature was looming over him, clicking its pincers in anticipation.

"Run!" she screamed, and the boy looked up, his large innocent eyes meeting her own. She pushed herself off of the stairs, sprinting towards the boy despite the stinging sensation in her side. "I said run, can't you see that thing?" she yelled, and the boy backed away quickly, turning and running away. She sighed in relief, letting her body go limp before the monster's claw made contact with her side, sending her flying. She braced herself for the pain she expected to feel from craching into the concrete wall behind her, but none came. Instead, she felt something wrap around her body, and her back pressed up against something not quite as painful as concrete. Cautiously, she cracked her eyes open, which she had squeezed shut in an attempt to block out the pain.

The face of a teenage boy was scowling down at her, his orange spiky hair catching the light. Hiori blinked, finally realizing that he was holding her and that, instead of a brick wall, she was pressed against his chest. She flushed, and Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"You again?" he muttered, and Hiori felt her face heat up even more. His hand supporting her lower half was definitely higher than necessary. Without another word he set her down, and she felt someone else's arms wrap around her own, putting it over their shoulders. It didn't do much, since this second person was much shorter than she was. Hiori glanced down, the familiar face of the dark haired girl from the night before looking up to meet her eyes.

"It's... You're that..." Hiori stuttered, her mind still struggling to grasp around the whole situation. She was suddenly distracted by a loud yelp, and her head snapped back in the direction of the monster, who was now writhing on its back in pain, its leg still twitching slightly from its place feet away from the body. "Why's it always the leg...?" she muttered.

"Ichigo, you've accepted?" the small girl called, and Hiori frowned. Accepted what? The boy shoved his sword into the ground, burying the tip of his sword into the sand.

"Shut the hell up!" he roared, turning around to face her. "I didn't accept jack! This fucker was beating up on some poor defenseless girl, I did it 'cause I wanted to!" Hiori arched an eyebrow, eyeing the boy with a look of annoyance on her face. She didn't exactly like being called 'poor' or 'defenseless'. She had learned karate from Tatsuki, after all, although she wasn't sure how this boy should know that. "You're the same, aren't you?"

"What?"

"When you sacrificed yourself to save me, you weren't thinking about your 'Shinigami Duties', you did it because you could!" he said, continuing to point. "That's not what sacrificing yourself is!" He turned around, picking up his sword and burying it up to the hilt in the monster's face. It roared loudly, and disappeared a moment later. "I haven't accepted my commitment- If things get bad I might run away. I'm not a good enough person to sacrifice myself for complete strangers." Hiori's gaze wondered between the girl and the boy, not understanding the situation at all. "But, unfortunately I'm not trash that can live happily without paying back his debts!" He stepped towards her, holding out his hand. The girl took it, shaking it once. "I'll help you with this Shinigami thing,"

"What... The hell are you talking about?" Hiori grumbled, throwing off her hood and crossing her arms. "Don't talk about shit I don't understand while I'm still standing here,"

"Ah, right." Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You."

"Yes, me." Hiori retorted, frowning.

"We really should use the Memory Chikan," the dark haired girl said, and Hiori back away from her quickly.

"Hey, hey, hey. What the hell is a memory chicken?" she asked nervously.

"Memory _Chikan_," the girl corrected, turning towards her. "It erases memories."

"No way. I'm not letting you take my memories!" Hiori protested as the girl withdrew something from her pocket. She quickly slapped it out of her hands, and it landed in the sand where Ichigo had previously been standing. Ichigo smirked slightly, his eyes settling on Hiori.

"I don't think she's gonna let you do that, Rukia," Ichigo muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

"I don't care if she'll let me or not." Rukia snapped, placing her hands on her hips and turning her attention to Ichigo. Hiori's face became more and more enraged the longer they ignored her, and finally she had had it.

"HEY!" she bellowed, and Rukia jumped, nearly losing her balance and toppling over. "Who the fuck are you people!" It was quiet for a minute as Rukia and Ichigo exchanged glances, and Ichigo shrugged.

"Well, I suppose... Since you can see us so easily..." Rukia murmured, her eyes moving up to meet Hiori's. "What he is... Well, what we are... We are Shinigami." Hiori made a disbelieving face, a scathing noise escaping from the back of her throat.

"You're 'Death Gods'?" she asked, folding her hands across her chest. "Yeah. Right."


	3. Part 1: Hollow, Kido, and Inoue Orihime

**Chapter 3- I'm going to try to keep events in order, although it'll be more focussed on Hiori. I suppose this chapter signifies the start of the 'Agent of the Shinigami' arc (sort of). Some cannon events will be changed, of course, because of Hiori's involvement. I'm mostly following the manga instead of the anime. Sayings in front of chapters are taken from the beginning pages of the manga chapter that I start with- I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. Reviews are much appreciated!**

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><p>'No Heart-Warming Stories.'<p>

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><p>"So," Tatsuki had been waiting for her newly-adopted sister to arrive home all afternoon, and she'd gotten no such luck. It was now well past nine, and Hiori was only just getting into the house. Had she known that the girl had spent the day engaging in a yelling match of sorts with the rebellious, orange haired teenager from her class, as well as an extremely uppity five foot ex-Shinigami playing high school girl, her anger with her newest family member would have probably been much worse. "What did <em>you<em> do today, Hiori?"

"Ya' know... Just the usual," she replied, shutting the door behind her.

"Yeah. Whatever that means."

Hiori really had no time for Tatsuki's lectures- Although Tatsuki wasn't always the most clear minded, per se, she never passed up the chance to set Hiori straight; And there was many a chance for that. As a result, Hiori had trained herself to simply tune out her foster sister. Abandoning her usual course of action, which consisted of pretending to listen intently and giving an occasional nod or 'mhm', she instead chose to walk to the opposite end of the kitchen and make herself a sandwich.

It really wasn't surprising how ravenous Hiori was feeling. Over the course of her should-be first day of school, she had instead saved a toddler from being eaten, been caught by a scowling orange haired delinquent, yelled at by a girl who must have been a head shorter than she was, and been introduced to the supposed existence of Shinigamis. Not to mention she had been forced into making a mad dash for the bus station as Ichigo attempted to wrestle the Memory Chikan out of Rukia's hands. They really were an odd pair of people.

"Are you even listening?" Tatsuki's frustrated voice broke through Hiori's thoughts, and she looked up from the open jar of peanut butter she had placed on the counter.

"What?" she muttered, and Tatsuki made a face, urging her to answer. "Oh. No, not really... No." The dark haired girl sighed in exasperation.

"You disappear like this all the time, what do you even do?" Tatsuki scolded, crossing her arms. Hiori shrugged, slicing her now sandwich down the middle and passing half of it to Tatsuki, who took it and gave her a grateful look despite their argument. "You're lucky my parents are never here," she said, her voice muffled through a mouthful of bread, peanut butter and jelly.

Tatsuki's parents had been home less and less lately, and Hiori knew that it was partly due to her. By choosing to adopt her, the foster agency had now stop giving them money in exchange for caring for her, and on top of that she had been transferred from the special school set up by the agency, which meant school fees that would normally have been payed for by the agency. Consequently, they had been working over time as of late.

"I know. I'll walk with you to school next time," Hiori replied, swallowing her food and turning to the sink, letting the stream of icy water run over the blade of the butter knife.

"Swear?" Tatsuki replied, standing up and grabbing the peanut butter jar. Hiori smirked, giving the girl a look as she held out her pinky expectantly. She sighed, giving in and wrapping her pinky finger around Tatsuki's.

"Swear."

Hiori then followed Tatsuki to the living room, slumping onto the couch beside her as she flipped the television on with the remote. She yawned, leaning her head on Tatsuki's shoulder lazily. Despite Hiori getting off to a rocky start with Tatsuki years ago, the two now got along rather well, aside from their major disagreements when it came to one very energetic, large breasted and walnut haired girl. Hiori attempted to shove the day's events out of her mind, not at all inclined to think of things such as Shinigami and 'Hollows', as Ichigo had called them. This life was what she knew, and she wasn't about to let a pair of nut job teenagers make her doubt any of it for one little second.

_They didn't look like nut jobs, though_, she thought to herself, and she frowned down at the carpet. They really hadn't looked any different than other teenagers that she'd met, and Tatsuki even seemed to know the orange haired boy rather well. She pondered the situation, not really watching the television as Tatsuki yelled at the screen. Judging from her outbursts, she was watching pro-wrestling. Hiori briefly considered the possibility that the two had been telling the truth- After all, she had seen the Hollow with her own eyes. And even though the little boy hadn't seen it, it wasn't as if she could be suffering some huge delusion. Not when the boy called Ichigo was obviously an actual person.

Pushing away from Tatsuki and heading for the stairs, Hiori continued to grumble to herself. She heard the quiet padding of cat paws, and she looked down to see Cat standing in the middle of the hallway. The cat's large golden eyes stared up at her. Hiori had always admired the cat's eyes- They weren't like anything she had ever seen in a cat before. They looked almost human. Not pausing, Hiori doubled over briefly to pick up the cat, heaving it into her arms and shutting the door to her room behind her. A painful tingly feeling alerted her to the continued presence of her wound, and wondered if it had even healed at all during the course of the day, as it felt as horrible and oozy as it had the night she had gotten it.

A sudden rush of wind made Hiori pause, and she wrinkled her nose in confusion. She was sure that she hadn't left the window open. Cat was kneading her quilt innocently, pawing it several more times before finally settling down. Hiori shrugged, letting out a heavy sigh as she shut her window. She slipped out of her clothing quickly, exchanging them for a large black t shirt that she had stolen from Tatsuki's room a while back. Pulling back the covers, she settled in bed, finally letting sleep wash away all of her anxieties that the day had brought on.

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><p>Cat hissed loudly as Hiori shot out of her bed, jumping away from her and landing on the floor. Hiori was breathing heavily, and she felt cold sweat roll down the side of her face. It was late in the afternoon, and nothing seemed to be out of place. She groaned, holding her head wearily in her hands. Hiori could barely remember the dream she had just awoken from, but from what she did remember of it she deduced that it hadn't been particularly scary- Just peculiar.<p>

She sat in her bed, continuing to think, mentally ordering her conscious self to remember what she had been dreaming about. There had been a dark haired woman, with blue eyes. She had been urging her to use her sword, although she had absolutely no idea what she was expected to take that to mean. It had been quite peaceful, she remembered, but that certainly didn't explain why she had woken up drenched in sweat. She reached up, wiping her forehead gingerly.

'You don't remember anything else?' asked an eerie voice in the back of her head, and Hiori froze. She knew this voice. It had been in her dream. She could see it, now. The blue eyed woman had contorted and transformed, and suddenly she had merged with something else- Something dark and sinister and much more powerful. It had told her to remember, and she had replied that she didn't know what they wanted. And then it- Or they- Had stabbed her in the stomach.

Frantically, Hiori lifted up her shirt. Afterwards, she felt pretty stupid, considering that it had all been nothing more than a dream. Maybe she should stop eating peanut butter and jelly before bed- Or it could have been Tatsuki's pro wrestling. To be safe, she mentally promised abstain from both before sleeping. She really didn't need to experience another dream like that one.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Tatsuki called as Hiori dragged herself into the kitchen.

"Wow, that's original," she replied, sitting down at the table as Tatsuki placed a cup of tea in front of her.

"I don't know how you do it, Hiori," Tatsuki praised, shaking her head as she sat down opposite of her. "You've managed to sleep until seven thirty."

"Fuck, is it really that early?"

"P.M." Tatsuki corrected, giving her adopted sister a look of disdain. "You sleep to much." Hiori shrugged, taking a sip of her tea.

"Maybe _you_ should start waking me up?" she retorted, and Tatsuki snickered into her tea.

"Yeah, right. And get pummeled to death? No thanks." she replied, remembering the one time she had attempted to wake her up. To put it simply, it was a good thing that Tatsuki was a natural when it came to karate. "Anyways, I'm staying at Orihime's-"

"Good, she actually invited you over this time." Hiori interrupted, a victorious smile tugging at her lips. Generally, Orihime came to their house for whatever reason. And every time, despite her protests, she would insist that she hang out with them. That was usually how it ended up playing out unless Hiori escaped through her window, and even then she was certain that Orihime tortured Cat- Every time she came home after a visit from Orihime, the animal looked more upset than usual.

"Uh, yeah... Anyways, what I was gonna say was that I won't be walking to school with you tomorrow," she explained, and Hiori nodded. "So, seriously, wake up at a reasonable hour, alright?"

"Yes, captain," Hiori replied sarcastically, giving the girl a two fingered mock-salute. Tatsuki rolled her eyes, leaning down and picking up an over night bag from off of the floor.

"You should get some friends, Hiori," she said, a smirk growing on her face.

"Shut up, I've got friends."

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot you actually have social skills." she taunted, dumping her cup in the sink before hoisting her bag over her shoulder. Hiori stuck out her tongue, glaring.

"I do! School tomorrow, I'll prove it." she said, and Tatsuki laughed derisively.

"I'll believe it when I see it!" she called before slamming the front door behind her, leaving Hiori on her own.

"I do have social skills..." she muttered to herself, sipping her lukewarm tea. For several minutes she was content, sitting there alone in the Arisawa's kitchen. But it wasn't long before the haunting images from her dream filled her mind, and she began to grow restless, her eyes darting around the empty kitchen as if expecting for the woman from her dreams to pop out and assault her again. Finally becoming fed up with the uneasy feeling, Hiori stormed to her room, pulling off her oversized shirt and slipping into a pair of navy sweat pants and a tight fitting black shirt.

"Stop it, Cat," she growled, moving her foot in an attempt to shake the animal off. It had begun to furiously claw at her ankle, and she didn't know what the creature meant by it- Frankly, it was annoying. Glaring down at the large black cat one last time, Hiori slipped on her shoes before taking off down the stairs and out of the door.

The air was warmer than it had been the night previously, as well as much more humid. Hiori shut her eyes, letting the moisture in the air soak into her skin. It was peaceful, and she felt the feeling of being watched slowly ebb away into nothingness- But, to her dismay, it was replaced a moment later by a feeling of overwhelming pressure, and for a moment it felt as though her lungs were being crushed in someone's fist.

"What-?" Hiori yelled, looking around frantically and clutching her hand to her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, and she felt the pressure start to relinquish its iron grip on her frail body, as though something around her were pushing it away. She once again opened her eyes, her dull gray irises glancing around the street she was on. She looked up, expecting to see only sky, but her wide eyes were met with something that made them grow even larger.

"Hollows attack their families!" Hiori gaped, her eyes following the orange haired teen as he leapt from one roof to another, the short dark haired girl riding on his back. She made a face.

"What the hell..." she murmured, her eyes following the pair briefly before she took off, all out sprinting to catch up with them, following them on the street. If it was these people again, she deduced that there must be one of those monsters around here somewhere, and her mind instantly traveled to Tatsuki. She knew this boy, what if he had gotten her caught up in all of this? Through her heavy breathing and because of the distance between them, Hiori could no longer hear exactly what they were saying, although Ichigo's voice made its way to her ears every so often.

Suddenly, a resounding crash met Hiori's ears, and her eyes widened. Her lungs were screaming, as well as the muscles in her legs, but she didn't stop. She recognized this street. She had walked back and forth on it many times before with Tatsuki, and the farther she ran the louder the crashes got. She knew exactly where they were headed- It was exactly as she had predicted. Hiori picked up her pace, and out of the corner of her eyes she saw Ichigo glance down, finally having spotted her, a puzzled expression on his face.

At the end of the block Hiori turned, realizing suddenly that Ichigo had taken a short cut to Orihime's over the many houses that still stood between herself and Tatsuki. She breathed in deeply, and she could feel her airways begin to tighten- She hadn't ever run this much this fast. Another explosive sounding crash reached her ears, and up ahead she saw Ichigo burst out of the side of Orihime's apartment building, somehow managing to land and stand up in midair. Below him stood Rukia, who was wearing a rather pair of child like pajamas. The next moment, Hiori watched as a serpent like creature emerged from the rubble, shooting something at Ichigo and burning his hand before beating him face-first into the ground with his tail.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed just as Hiori made it up to the house. "You! Go back, you can't-" Hiori didn't pause to catch her breath, merely turned away from the two, sprinting through the front door. "Get back here!" But Hiori wasn't listening. She sprinted up the staircase, taking them three at a time, and she finally reached Orihime's room.

"Day by day, I diminished from your heart- All you talked about was Kurosaki!" the creature cried, and Hiori paused in the doorway. Her eyes fell on her adopted sister, who was laying unconscious on the floor, and then darted to the girl in the monster's hand. She furrowed her eyebrows. That couldn't be right- The person in his hands was Orihime, but she was certain that Orihime was on the floor. The monster glanced up, its eyes meeting hers. "Meddlesome human, get out!" it screeched, reaching for her. Her heart was beating much too fast, and she watched as the monster's tail hit the ground heavily, landing dangerously close to Tatsuki's head. She wasn't thinking- She couldn't. But somewhere in her foggy thoughts, she heard a voice, and as the monster's hand came closer and closer she felt something like electricity enter her veins.

"Get away!" she screamed, holding her hands in front of her, the energy within her seeming to increase ten fold. Hiori tensed, bracing herself for the impact she had been expecting, but it never came. Slowly, she cracked one eye open, and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. The monster's face was only inches from her own, his eyes directly in front of hers. His irises were shaking as though he was extremely surprised, and she wondered if there was possible a much larger monster behind her.

"H-Hiori-chan... What did you...?" Orihime muttered, staring up at the creature. His entire body was now surrounded by a pulsating red light, and Hiori glanced down at her hands. She raised an eyebrow, not understanding why she was holding her fingers the way that she was. Was it supposed to be some sort of seal? A sickening slicing sound broke through the silence, and Hiori watched as the hand holding Orihime fell away from the creature's arm, blood spraying through the air, some landing on her face. She dropped her arms to her side limply, and the red light vanished instantly.

"Do you know why the big brother is born first?" Hiori turned to her left, her eyes widening as she saw the murderous expression on Ichigo's face. "It's to protect the little brothers and sisters that come after him!" he roared, pointing his sword at the monster. "A brother telling his little sister 'I'll kill you', you never ever say something like that!" he bellowed, and Orihime's eyes widened from her place on the floor.

"K-Kurosaki-kun-"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, why do you interfere!" roared the monster, crying out in pain, and Hiori plugged her ears. She didn't like this. She hated all of it, and she felt that same skull splitting pain from the other night return. He lunged, but Ichigo deflected him with his enormous blade. "She must die for me!" and the monster changed courses, turning instead on Orihime. Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and a moment later, Orihime's blood covered the right side of her face.

"Orihime, what..." Hiori gasped, watching as the Hollow sank his teeth into her. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, as though she were hugging him. Hiori didn't understand it.

"I'm sorry, brother..." she murmured, and Hiori's eyes widened. This thing was Orihime's brother? "I wanted you to hear... All the fun things in my life. I thought that if all I did was pray, it would make you sad. I wanted to show you that you didn't have to worry!" she cried, removing her arms from around him as her body began to go limp. "I love you, brother. I'm so sorry for making you... So sad..."

"Orihime!" Hiori cried, catching her before she fell to the ground. The monster wore a stunned expression, backing away from his wounded sister quickly.

"She can be saved!" Hiori jumped, finally realizing that Rukia had been standing behind her. "The chain of fate is still connected! As long as it stays intact, there's a way to save her!" Rukia said, pushing Hiori aside and leaning down to heal the wounded girl.

"O-Orihime..." the monster moaned sadly, and Rukia glared up at him.

"Move, you're in the way of healing," she snapped, and the monster retreated.

"I knew... That she didn't want me to worry." he muttered, and Hiori stared up at him. He was staring down at Orihime, a look of regret in his eyes. "But, I wanted her to pray for me." Hiori cleared her throat nervously, looking up to meet the Hollow's eyes.

"My sister... Those hairpins, my sister said that Orihime wears them because they were her first present from her brother," she said, clenching her fists. "If you were watching her, didn't you realize?" she asked, pushing herself up and leaning against the door frame. Her body felt strangely weak. "She wears them everyday because you gave them to her,"

"It's the same." Ichigo muttered, resting his sword on his shoulder, and Hiori turned to look at him. "Those that die and those that survive, both are just as sad as the other. Don't be so selfish as to think that you're the only one who's sad!" he yelled, and the Hollow bowed its head shamefully.

"I never... Noticed..." it muttered, moving behind Ichigo and grasping his blade. Hiori continued to watch, not having a clue what the Hollow planned to do. Without warning, he pierced his own face, pieces of what looked to be white clay shattering and falling from his face. "If I stay like this, I'll come after her again. It's best if I disappear," it whispered.

"What? But-"

"Ichigo!" Rukia barked, looking up from Orihime. "He's right. Don't worry. Cutting the Hollow with the Zanpakuto is to cleanse them of their sins." Hiori's eyes ran along the large blade. A Zanpakuto, Rukia had called it. Was this what her dream had been about? It was odd, she thought, that the night before this happened she had a dream about using swords. Though more than likely it was nothing more than coincidence. "That's why we Shinigami exist." The Hollow slid over toward Orihime, bending over as he began to slowly disappear. Hiori watched with wide eyes, something about the whole experience seeming so familiar to her.

"Then, goodbye, Orihime." he whispered, and Hiori saw Orihime's eyes flutter open.

"Goodbye, brother." she whispered, smiling as the last of her brother's face disappeared, leaving nothing behind but air. They all stood in silence for several seconds, and Ichigo walked over to where the three girls were congregated.

"He's gone," he sighed, glancing up through the demolished roof and into the sky.

"Yup," Orihime said, and Hiori made a face. She was suddenly so cheery, when the mood had, only seconds ago, been so heavy.

"How're your wounds?" Ichigo asked, his eyes leaving Orihime and glancing briefly at Hiori.

"Oh! I almost forgot- But never mind. Kurosaki-kun, there's so much-" A loud puff sound came from Rukia's hand, and Hiori watched as Orihime toppled over where she stood, a bored expression on Rukia's face. Hiori frowned.

"It's that memory chicken!" she said, pointing at the strange device. Rukia frowned.

"Memory _Chikan_," she corrected for a second time, glaring at the red haired girl. Rolling her eyes, Hiori pushed herself up and made her way over to Tatsuki who, besides her small injury on her shoulder, seemed alright. She leaned down, patting Tatsuki's head in an attempt to wake her up as Rukia nudged Ichigo in the side. He scowled, holding in a loud yelp.

"What?" he snapped, and Rukia looked up at him as Hiori continued to care for Tatsuki, who was still bleeding rather heavily.

"We need to watch her," she said, giving Ichigo a serious look. He arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Earlier, she sent that Hollow into temporary paralysis with a level nine Kido spell known as Gaki- How she did it, I'm still unsure." she muttered, holding her chin in between her thumb and index finger thoughtfully.

"Is that a Shinigami thing?" Ichigo asked, not having the slightest clue what 'Kido' or 'Gaki' was. Rukia nodded, her eyes following Hiori's movements as she rolled Tatsuki over onto her back.

"It's so strange, I can't detect much Spiritual Pressure from her." she muttered. "There should be much more for her to be a Shinigami that can use level nine Kido. She'd have to be on my level." Ichigo turned towards the red haired girl, and she looked up briefly, meeting his eyes. Whoever this girl was, he had a feeling they'd be seeing much more of her than they had originally anticipated.


	4. Part 1: Hello, Cockatiel

**Chapter 4- Getting farther in 'Agent of the Shinigami' arc. Some cannon events will be changed, because of Hiori's involvement. Sticking with the manga as opposed to anime. Sayings in front of chapters are taken from the beginning pages of the manga chapter that I start with- I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. Thanks for the reviews, they're always much appreciated!**

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><p>"People are able to hold onto hope, since Death is that which cannot be seen."<p>

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><p>"It's true!" Orihime insisted, staring at her friends, who were all casting her doubtful looks. "A sumo wrestler came to my room and shot a bazooka at the wall!" Ichigo and Rukia had only just made it into class, and it was still very early in the morning, but already things were so rowdy. Ichigo made a face, listening intently in an attempt to grasp exactly what Orihime was going on about.<p>

"You and you're imagination,"

"Orihime..."

"Well, actually, I like that childish brain of hers." Ichigo sighed. He would have thought that people like Shinigami could have supplied Orihime with a much better memory, but unfortunately for her, she had been stuck with one so wholly unbelievable it was just sad. Her friends clearly weren't buying any of it, and for a moment he kind of felt bad- She had no idea that it wasn't real.

"It's true, right, Tatsuki-chan?" she asked, tugging on her best friend's sleeve to gain her attention. For some reason, the dark haired girl was highly distracted, and Ichigo watched as she continued glancing around the classroom as if she were expecting someone.

"Oh... Yeah..." she muttered, continuing to look uncomfortable.

"See! Tatsuki-chan says this, too!" Orihime cried, and Ichigo made a face, turning to Rukia.

"It really is random," he sighed, and Rukia nodded. "You used that on my family the other day, right?"

"Yeah. It works well, right?" she replied, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow, pointing indescreatly in Orihime's direction.

"You call _that_ 'working well'?" he asked, forming quotations with his fingers in the air as he quoted Rukia's previous words, earning himself a hard glare from the tiny girl. They took their seats, which were side by side, and the class calmed down as the teacher entered. Ichigo glanced over at Tatsuki, who still looked uneasy.

"Alright, to start-" No sooner had the teacher started speaking, the door to the classroom slammed open. A tall girl with long burgundy hair stood in the open door, breathing heavily, her mouth open slightly as she desperately attempted to catch her breath.

"No... Nobody panic, I'm..." she continued to gulp in air, and Ichigo and Rukia exchanged glances. It was the girl from the night before. "I'm here. Every thing's fine." she muttered, mostly to herself, as she shut the door behind her. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, letting his eyes run over her body briefly, taking in her appearance. She wore the standard uniform, although instead of a bow around her neck like most of the girls in the class she wore a solid red tie, which was knotted loosely around her neck. Her collar was slightly wrinkled, most likely from sprinting here, Ichigo guessed, and her shirt was unbuttoned slightly more than necessary. He had to turn away quickly to keep his eyes from traveling any lower than they had already.

"Ah... I'm sorry, who...?" the teacher stuttered, staring at Hiori in surprise. Tatsuki stood up swiftly, her chair crashing loudly into the desk behind her. Taking a deep breath, she pointed at the red head in an accusatory manner, her face set in a scowl.

"YOU IDIOT. YOU OVERSLEPT!" she bellowed, and Hiori cringed, covering her ears. Ichigo's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, his mind scrambling to fit the puzzle pieces together carefully in his head. Last night, Hiori had said something about a sister. She had also seemed to know Orihime, as well as Tatsuki. As his mind searched through his memories, he remembered Tatsuki once mentioning something about her family thinking about foster care, although he hadn't really hung out with the girl one on one in quite a while. Could this girl possibly be Tatsuki's foster sister.

"It's your fault, you spent the night at Orihime's!" Hiori accused, glaring just as heatedly as Tatsuki was. The teacher was looking more and more flustered, but her voice was being overpowered by Tatsuki's and Hiori's argument, as well as the many questions now being asked of Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki, who's this?" one of Orihime's friends asked, eyeing the angry red head curiously.

"Ah, yes, miss, please intr-" the teacher was cut off by Tatsuki once again.

"It's not my job to wake you up, you dummy!" she retorted, crossing her arms.

"Then don't complain about it, dummy!" Hiori barked, copying Tatsuki's movements and crossing her own arms. It was silent for about a minute, and Ichigo was suppressing a slight smirk. This had to be the most ridiculous entrance he had ever witnessed in his life, and his father was Kurosaki Isshin, King of Ridiculous Entrances.

"Excuse me!" The teacher had finally had enough, and she set a stern glare on both Tatsuki and Hiori. "Now. Please introduce yourself," she instructed, handing Hiori a piece of chalk. She made a face, eyeing the chalk strangely before sighing and turning towards the blackboard. Ichigo watched patiently as she carefully spelled out her name. Despite knowing Tatsuki for many years, Ichigo had never once been formally introduced to this girl, and he wondered how long she had been living with the Arisawa family. It couldn't have been too long, as she had only just started going to this school, but it also couldn't have been too recently, or Tatsuki wouldn't be talking to her like that. He would ask, but he didn't want to seem like he cared too much.

Hiori finally stepped away from the board, setting down the piece of chalk and brushing her hands together. The characters that spelled out her name were carefully scrawled on the blackboard, her large blocky handwriting taking up most of the space provided. He heard Rukia breathe in sharply as she read the name, and he turned to her questioningly.

"Hitsu... gaya...?" she whispered, and Ichigo raised his eyebrows. She didn't know this girl, did she? Ichigo was becoming more and more confused by the second, and he didn't even notice as Hiori walked to the back of the class, taking the empty desk directly behind him.

Hiori sat down, attempting to ignore Rukia's incessant staring as she carefully set her school bag on the floor beside her desk. The teacher continued to speak, but Hiori wasn't listening. She had never expected to be in the same class as the orange haired Shinigami, much less his scrawny sidekick. But to be in a class with both of them together, as well as Tatsuki and Orihime, came as quite a surprise. She continued to stare at Ichigo, whose face was turned slightly to the side as he listened to the teacher. Hiori studied his face carefully, still not quite understanding him despite their several past encounters.

His vivid orange hair was just as ridiculous as her hair was, and she was positive that he got just as much flack about his hair color as she did. Back at her old school, she had gotten into several fights over hair color, although she was sure that taking on a group of scrawny little girls was much less impressive than going up against five burly male high schoolers. It was clear which one of them had it worse.

She continued to study his face, her large gray eyes moving to his chocolate brown ones. The neutral color greatly contrasted with the carrot orange locks on top of his head, but before she could look at anything else, his eyes shifted to meet hers.

"What?" he snapped, scowling. Hiori mentally noted that he'd be much more attractive if he didn't scowl so much, although other than that she had no other complaints regarding his looks. He was actually quite attractive. His brows knitted together as she continued to stare- She hadn't planned on saying anything, but Tatsuki happened to catch her eye, and she suddenly remembered the little deal that they had made in their kitchen the night previous.

"Uh... Hi?" she replied, giving him an awkward sort of half-wave. He arched an eyebrow, clearly not getting what she was trying to do. Hiori sighed in defeat, leaning back in her chair as the teacher continued to lecture. After several minutes, Ichigo turned back around to face her, ignoring the teacher as she sent a glare their way.

"So you see ghosts, right?" he asked, keeping his voice level and indifferent. Hiori sat up, placing her arms on her desk and leaning towards him.

"Yeah. I guess I do," she replied, and she felt Rukia look over at them curiously.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo muttered, frowning. He sure seemed to frown an awful lot. "And you're Tatsuki's... Sister?"

"Adopted." she said quickly, and Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows. "Adopted sister." she said, lengthening her sentence so he could better understand. He nodded slowly, absorbing the new found information and turning back around. The rest of the class passed quickly and in silence, Rukia and Hiori occasionally making extremely awkward eye contact before glancing away instantly. Hiori wondered why Rukia suddenly seemed to be so suspicious of her. Finally the bell for lunch rang, and before she could even ask about lunch, Tatsuki had disappeared with Orihime. She sighed, touching her forehead to the top of the desk. She wished she was asleep.

"Hey." a bored voice called, and she looked up to see Ichigo in the doorway. "Come on," he said, looking away as if he were shy about asking Hiori to eat with them. Rukia gave him a look, but he ignored her, motioning for Hiori to hurry it up. She smiled slightly, picking up her bag lunch and following him to the roof. He slumped down, and there was an awkward pause. Hiori watched as he rubbed the skin in between his eyebrows.

"Damn. My wounds sure did heal up fast," he muttered as Hiori removed several onigiri from inside of her brown paper bag. Her face fell slightly, realizing a little too late that packing them in such a way would surely make them collapse into inedible piles of plain white rice, which she hated. Onigiri weren't her favorite to begin with, due to her immense dislike of white rice, but they had been the only edible things in the kitchen that morning, and she had been in a bit of a rush.

"Surprised? You really shouldn't be," Rukia gloated, and Hiori raised an eyebrow. She hadn't pegged the petite girl for the gloating type. "I was top of my class in Kido," she explained, pointedly looking at Hiori, who paused as she was preparing to drop a handful of rice into her open mouth.

"Oh, is this the part where I'm supposed to ask 'What the hell is Kido'?" she said, raising her eyebrows and staring Rukia straight in the eyes. Rukia choked on the piece of bread she had been eating, and Ichigo barely repressed a snicker as Rukia frowned.

"There's a school for Shinigami?" Ichigo asked, as Rukia recovered from her previous choking fit. She nodded in response to Ichigo's question, pulling out a juice box and holding it unnecessarily close to his face.

"Anyways, Ichigo, how do you open this?" she asked innocently, and it was now Ichigo and Hiori's turn to choke.

"Isn't that obvious?" Ichigo asked, pointing at the small container.

"The straw, the _straw_." Hiori explained, but Rukia still didn't seem to understand. She continued to turn the box over in her hands, muttering 'straw' to herself every now and then. Ichigo and Hiori exchanged glances as they watched the girl hopelessly continue searching for the straw, and Hiori wondered what kind of place didn't have straws- Now that she came to think of it, she didn't even know where Rukia was from, or where Shinigami came from, for that matter. She opened her mouth to ask, but was interrupted by a loud gasp.

"Ichigo, why are you up here alone with girls?" asked a voice, and Hiori turned around to frown up at the person who had just asked such an awkward question. A short boy with black hair stood in front of her, a puzzled expression on his face and a bento in his fist. "It's surprising to see you getting along with people you only just met." Ichigo and Hiori promptly scooted father away from each other, finally seeming to realize their dangerously close proximities, earning themselves a questioning look from the boy as he sat down next to Rukia.

"Hello, Kuchiki-san!" he said brightly, and Rukia abandoned her search for a moment to look up and meet his gaze.

"Ah... Kojima-kun?"

"BINGO!" he said happily before looking down the row of people at Hiori, who frowned ever so slightly. "Hello, I'm Kojima Mizuiro, fifteen." he said, and then he turned his attention back to Rukia, clearly not seeing that she was distracted by her search for a straw. "My hobbies include-"

"Womanizing." Ichigo stated flatly, taking a sip if his drink. Hiori snickered, sneering over at Mizuiro, who flushed.

"Ichigo! Stop it. Besides, I only like older women." he said, pouting and crossing his arms. "Girls my age are safe." Hiori arched her eyebrows, unsure of how a boy like this managed to hook up with older women.

"That's why I told her to watch out." Ichigo replied, and Hiori cast Rukia a confused look. She seemed caught of guard, and Hiori guessed that Shinigami must be older than they actually looked.

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Ichigo said quickly, and luckily Mizuiro dropped the subject.

"Can I join you guys?" a voice asked, and Hiori flinched, not having realized that another person had snuck up on them.

"Ah, hey Kei-"

"How'd you get the new girl and the transfer student up here, Ichigo!" the boy yelled, dropping his lunch and rushing to Hiori's side. She instantly felt uncomfortable, slapping his hand away as he attempted to take her hand in his. "Hello, new beautiful student!" he said enthusiastically, and Hiori made a disgusted face.

"Ah... Hello?" she replied, and Ichigo just shook his head. Why he was friends with these people, he just couldn't explain.

"Huh? Where's Chad?" Ichigo shrugged, not giving the boy a second glance as he continued to sit unnecessarily close to Hiori.

"Haven't seen 'im," he replied. Keigo opened his mouth to ask another questioned, but he stopped as the shadows of three people suddenly loomed over them. Hiori stared up at the three thuggish boys, wondering if these were Ichigo's friends as well, and mentally noting that he hung around some very strange people.

"O-Ooshima," Keigo stuttered. "Didn't know you were off of your suspension," he said, and the boy with the weird afro hair smirked triumphantly.

"Hey guys, look at this." he said, pointing at Hiori. "Kurosaki's got himself another friend with strange hair." he continued, and Hiori's eyebrow twitched dangerously. She should have seen this one coming. "Hey, Kurosaki, with your droopy eyes and bleached hair- Stop copying me!" he yelled, pointing at Ichigo. He sighed heavily, a bored expression painting his face.

"Sorry if this bothers you, but it's my natural color," Hiori explained, giving the boys an icy glare.

"Yeah, this is mine too. I ain't copying ya', so do something about your own hair, Chicken Head." he retorted, and Hiori snorted into her sandwich, earning herself a slight smirk from Ichigo and a glare from the boy above her.

"Put a muzzle on that bitch of yours, Kurosaki," the boy yelled, reaching into his pocket. Hiori stood up swiftly, raising her fists.

"What's that, you little-"

"Hey, guys, let's not fight!" Keigo cried, but he backed away instantly as the boy pulled iron knuckles out of his pocket. Hiori's eyes widened, but she really couldn't back away now. But this hardly seemed fair to her.

"I don't care if you're a chick, I'm gonna kick your arse!" he yelled, pulling back his fist. Hiori wore a dumbfounded expression. Arse? Really? She felt like somebody should be making fun of that. She heard Ichigo stand up as Ooshima pulled his fist, growling as he snapped it forwards, and Hiori prepared to duck- Only to see the boy thrown easily into the air, crash landing several yards away on the rooftop. The rest of his cronies trembled, turning on their heels and running in the opposite direction.

"Chad!" Keigo called, sighing with relief. "Careful, you coulda' killed Ooshima!"

"He did save me, though..." Hiori muttered, peering over her shoulder as Ooshima scrambled upright, taking one last look at them before running off.

"Chad, you're injured?" Ichigo asked, walking up beside Hiori with his hands in his pockets. "What happened?" Chad paused, unwrapping his bread slowly before speaking.

"My head. Yesterday, a steel beam fell from above," he said, as though it were no big deal.

"STEAL BEAM?" the group yelled in unison, looks of surprise on all of their faces.

"And my hand and stuff... I went to buy bread, and I collided with a motorcycle."

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo yelled, frowning up at the tan boy. Hiori's eyes moved from Chad's face, slowly making their way down and finally settling on his left hand, which was holding a rather large bird cage. She felt her body freeze up, and she eyed the bird cautiously.

"The guy on the bike was seriously injured, so I took him to the hospital." Chad continued, and both Ichigo and Hiori stood, completely dumbfounded, in front of him, Hiori still eyeing the cockatiel apprehensively.

"Does he have an iron body, or something?" Hiori murmured, and Ichigo could do nothing but shrug.

"What's with the bird?" he asked, following Hiori's gaze.

"Hello!" it said, and Hiori jumped, nearly knocking Ichigo in the face with her elbow. "My name is Shibata Yuuichi- What are your names!" As Keigo and Mizuiro crowded around both the bird cage and Chad, Hiori felt her body freeze up. Although the bird spoke unusually well, it wasn't uncommon for birds like that to speak. So why was she getting so freaked out? Ichigo cast her a glance from the corner of his eyes, watching as her frown deepened the more she watched the bird. Despite Keigo's efforts, Chad was reluctant to divulge any information regarding how he had acquired the cockatiel, and Hiori wondered vaguely if it was some sort of strange bird off of the Black Market- Perhaps that's why it was making her feel so strange?

* * *

><p>After her rather strange introduction to Ichigo's small group of friends, the rest of the day had passed rather quickly for Hiori. Tatsuki had left school before she had, and she was mentally cursing her for forgetting about her. Instead of walking with her, she had chosen to accompany Orihime in grocery shopping, insisting that she buy 'normal' people food, for once. Hiori couldn't blame her- She had seen what Orihime bought at the grocery store many a time, and she knew as well as anyone that Orihime had eccentric tastes when it came to food. If you could even call leeks, bean jam, gelatin and bananas 'eccentric'.<p>

Hiori paused as she came to a four-way intersection. She sighed, tossing her school bag over her shoulder as she waited for the street to clear up so she could cross. Glancing to her left, she spied a familiar bird cage. Her eyes traveled up the tan arm that held it, finally coming to rest on the boy she had met earlier that very afternoon. That strange feeling that she had now begun to associate with the cockatiel came over her once again, and Chad looked down, finally noticing the familiar face staring up at him.

"Ah... Hitsugaya-san," he said slowly, his deep voice rumbling deep within his chest. When she had met him, Hiori had wondered if this boy really was the same age as Ichigo- Not only was he maybe two feet taller than he was, not to mention much more built, but his voice was much deeper.

"You can call me Hiori, Yasutora-san," she replied, stepping out into the crosswalk as the electronic sign indicated it was alright to walk. He nodded, following her and stepping out into the street.

"Sado," he murmured, pointing to himself. Hiori raised an eyebrow.

"I thought your name-" she stopped speaking, a familiar roar piercing her ears, and she whipped her head around. Her eyes fell on the large monster, not three yards away, its enormous masked face staring almost hungrily at the tiny cockatiel, who began to screech and flap its wings incessantly. Hiori froze up, unsure of what to do. There was no Ichigo, and there was no Rukia, and she still had no idea what she had done to stop Orihime's brother from attacking her the night before. As she continued to stare, she failed to notice the car speeding in their direction.

The Hollow lashed its tail, sending the car swerving out of its lane and causing several other cars to crash into each other. Hiori felt something make contact with her side, pushing her out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. The bird cage clattered to the street, and the bird continued to screech.

"Mister! Run, Mister!" it cried, and Hiori's eyes widened. Could the bird see this creature. She gasped, pushing herself up. The Hollow dug its claw into Chad's back, and Hiori gasped, tugging on Chad's arms as hard as she could in an attempt to get him up.

"Chad! CHAD!" she screamed, urging him to stand as the Hollow continued to dig its nails into his flesh. "Fuck off!" she bellowed, and the Hollow roared as it was suddenly thrown back, away from where Chad and Hiori stood. Her eyes widened, and she stared down at her palm. What had she just done? She shook her head quickly, dropping Chad as paramedics arrived. Hiori flinched, turning on her heel and jogging away, realizing moments later that her shoulder was bleeding from landing on the blacktop so roughly.

Ever since the appearance of Kurosaki Ichigo, nothing seemed to have gone right in her life. Perhaps 'right' was the incorrect word, but it certainly wasn't going according to plan. Never once before her meeting Ichigo had she run into Hollows, or conversed with Shinigami, or used strange powers that she didn't know the names of. Her breath was coming out ragged as she ran, clutching her shoulder, finally reaching her house. She stopped just outside of the lawn, staring up at the place that she had called home for a good two years. Everything was changing so fast, and she had no idea what to make of that. Her home had become the only somewhat stable thing in her life.

Walking up the path, she took out her house keys. Hiori unlocked the door, brushing her hair out of her eyes and rolling up the sleeve of her shirt on her wounded arm. She didn't need to get it any more stained with blood than it already was. She sighed heavily, pressing her back against the door and standing still for several seconds. Finally getting her thoughts together, she took a few steps, making it to the stairs and walking swiftly to her room. She pulled open the door to her bedroom, throwing her school bag unceremoniously on her desk before loosening her tie and pulling it off over her head, pausing or a moment as it became tangled with her head. She turned around, preparing to sit on her bed, but stopped in her tracks.

"WHY THE HELL IS THERE A NAKED WOMAN ON MY BED!"


	5. Part 1: The Cat and The Deathberry

**Chapter 5- 'Agent of the Shinigami' arc. Some cannon events will be changed, because of Hiori's involvement. Sticking with the manga as opposed to anime. Sayings in front of chapters are taken from the beginning pages of the manga chapter that I start with- I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. Thanks for the reviews, they're always much appreciated!**

* * *

><p>For Hitsugaya Hiori, the day wasn't going quite as expected. So far that day, she had nearly gotten into a fight with the local high school's top delinquent, met a boy who appeared to have a body made of steal, had a weird sort of connection with an apparently normal cockatiel, nearly been a victim in a five-car pileup, been attacked by a Hollow, and used some sort of weird magic. All in all, the day had been hectic, but she had at least expected to be able to take refuge from the day's events inside of her own home.<p>

Apparently, she had been mistaken.

Upon entering her room, she had instantly had to add yet another thing to the ever-growing list of strange things that had happened to her that day. She had discovered a purple-haired woman, who was wearing no clothes, lying on her bed a minute after shutting her door behind her. Instead of being equally as freaked out as she was, the woman had simply covered her ears in response to her screaming, given her a look of annoyance, and shut her eyes again. Finally, after tolerating several slaps on her side from Hiori, the woman sat up, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring heatedly at the girl.

"Look, just calm down, alright?" she said, raising her voice and glaring venomously. Hiori shut her mouth quickly, sensing that this person wasn't someone that she wanted to anger.

"Why the hell are you in my room?" she asked flatly after several awkward seconds of silence. A playful smirk stretched over the woman's face, and Hiori felt as though her eyes were vaguely familiar. They were gold in color, and held the same look that Cat's often did. She looked around for a moment, realizing that she hadn't seen hide nor hair of her pet since she had arrived home. "Have you seen Cat?" she asked quickly, turning back to meet the eyes of the mystery woman currently occupying her bed. She snickered, and Hiori arched an eyebrow.

"I always wondered why you never gave me a name," she replied, and Hiori's frown deepened all the more. She had spent her past several days getting chased around by vicious monsters and being yelled at by uppity ex-Shinigamis. She was really in no mood for cryptic people.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, dropping to the floor and peering under her bed. She assumed Cat was hiding, considering there was currently an unfamiliar nude woman in her room and all. Who knew how long she had been there. "Just tell me what nudist colony you've escaped from and I'll be more than happy to transport you back there."

The woman burst out laughing, and Hiori looked up from her place on the floor. But no sooner had she looked up was she forced to look away- She had temporarily forgotten that the woman was naked, and the angle she was looking at her really just wasn't working out.

"Funny," the woman said, staring down at her. "Solid joke, but I live _here_."

"Like hell you do!" Hiori retorted, standing up and crossing her arms defiantly. "Are you some weird escaped convict?" The woman shook her head, her shoulders bobbing up and down quickly as she tried and failed to suppress her laughter.

"I promise you, I am none of those things. I live here. I've always lived here." she explained, standing up. Tatsuki had always told her that she was freakishly tall for a girl her age, Hiori being an apparently astounding five foot seven, leaving Tatsuki in the dust by a good six inches; It didn't surprise her that this woman was shorter than her. But despite their five inch height difference, Hiori felt extremely intimidated. Her cat like eyes blazed with a sort of confidence and intellectual prowess that Hiori had never seen in anyone else, and her brain was scrambling to put words into sentences. "Have you noticed that something's missing?"

At this, Hiori's eyes widened. Had she taken something? She glanced around her room quickly, her eyes traveling over the length of her desk and her bookcase, both of which looked as they should. Her closet was shut, and clearly this woman had taken nothing from it. She was naked, after all, and Hiori thought it was safe to assume that if she had taken clothing she would be wearing it. The only thing that seemed out of place was that instead of being greeted by her familiar black cat, she had instead stumbled upon a naked woman sleeping in her bed in Cat's place.

"Did... Did you take my cat?" she asked, slightly incredulous. Where would she have hidden her cat? Unless, of course, she had thrown it out of the window. But she was unclear as to what the woman would be accomplishing by doing such a thing.

"Well, you're getting closer, at least." she said, taking a step closer to her. Hiori was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable- The woman was naked, after all, and she was coming dangerously close. "I didn't _take_ your cat."

"... Well then what did you do with it?" she asked, beginning to tire of the woman's mind games. She smiled, finally backing up.

"The cat is me," she replied calmly, sitting herself back on the bed. Hiori paused. She paused for a long time, simply continuing to stare into the woman's eyes. Now that she thought about it, her eyes were similar to Cat's. And although under normal circumstances she would never even so much as consider the idea of believing what she was saying, after all she had witnessed in the past couple of days she didn't see why it couldn't be true. She sighed heavily, pacing around her room to relieve stress. Now even her home had gone completely haywire, along with the rest of the world.

"So, you're a cat."

"Not exactly. I can transform into one," she replied, and Hiori nodded, feeling a little numb from the initial shock of it all.

"You're human?" The woman shook her head, once again shooting down Hiori's guess. "Then, what are you?" she asked finally, taking the bait and awaiting her answer impatiently, tapping her foot loudly on the hardwood floor.

"Technically speaking, I am a Shinigami." she said, and Hiori let out a frustrated groan.

"Not another one," she whined, and the woman frowned. "So why have you been pretending to be a cat all this time? I changed in front of you, you know!" she said, glaring at the woman and crossing her arms angrily. The woman's smirk reappeared.

"So? Be more confident about your body, little girl," Hiori flushed, glaring indignantly at the woman in front of her. Had she just called her 'little'? Not only was it rude, but the fact that Hiori towered over her should have made it clear that such a term didn't fit with her. "Don't be so self conscious. Besides, I'm naked right now-"

"Yeah, about that, put some clothes on!" she yelled, stalking to her closet and tossing a sweatshirt and some shorts at her. The woman caught them just before they hit her face and she sighed, slipping them on reluctantly.

"As I was saying," she began, slipping the sweatshirt over her and leaving the shorts forgotten on top of the bed sheets. Hiori frowned, picking them up and waving them at her, but she ignored her. "Due to recent events and changes, I have decided that now would be a better time than any to reveal myself to you," she explained, and Hiori sat on the floor, giving up on making the woman wear pants.

"Why?" she asked, although she was sure that it had something to due with the all the monsters and Shinigami that had been running around Karakura town lately.

"I'm sure that by now you've noticed some changes taking place," she replied, and Hiori arched an eyebrow. "Any... Unexplained powers? Anything like that." she said, and Hiori bit her lip. Of course she had noticed that, how could she not? "I thought so. I'm going to teach you, Hiori."

"How do you know my name?"

"I've only lived here for two years, Hiori." she replied, smirking down at the girl.

"Well, what's your name, then?" The woman smiled, stuffing her hands in the front pockets of the sweatshirt that she wore.

"I am Shihoin Yoruichi." she said. After a brief pause, Hiori had asked her about the changes that were slowly taking place. She asked about the Hollows, about Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo. Yoruichi had gone over with her in detail about Hollows, explaining that they were souls that had never been guided to Soul Society, and thus remained in the world of the living for too long. As she put it, they were corrupt spirits, although a person didn't need to be a bad person in life in order to become a Hollow. She only touched briefly on the subject of Hueco Mundo, telling Hiori that it was the place where Hollows reside.

Hiori also asked about Rukia, and although Yoruichi seemed more than happy to explain Rukia's current predicament as well as her place in the world of the Shinigami known as Soul Society, she seemed reluctant to answer Hiori's questions as to why Rukia was so suspicious of her. She had changed the subject quickly, choosing instead to explain 'Substitute Shinigami', and how they were created. Hiori had remembered her first encounter with Rukia and Ichigo, telling Yoruichi of how Rukia had run Ichigo through with her sword, which lead to their next topic, the Zanpakuto.

"They are soul cutting swords," Yoruichi explained while Hiori listened intently. During the past hour, she had moved from her place on the floor to her bed, leaning her back up against the wall and facing Yoruichi, who sat on the bed's opposite end. "Konso is what Shinigami do to normal spirits. They place the hilt of the Zanpakuto on their heads, and it sends them to either Hell or Soul Society." she said, and Hiori nodded, showing that she understood.

"Do they all look the same?" she asked, thinking back to when she had first seen Ichigo's Zanpakuto. Yoruichi shook her head.

"Their size varies based on the Spiritual Energy of the holder, and all Zanpakuto's powers and appearances are different because every soul is different." she said. "A Zanpakuto is the reflection of a Shinigami's soul- They're like sentient beings." she explained. Hiori's eyes narrowed, thinking back to the dream that she had had the other night.

"Can you speak to Zanpakutos? Do they look like people?"

"Sometimes," Yoruichi answered, eyeing Hiori apprehensively. "Why?"

"No reason." Hiori replied quickly, changing the subject. An hour later she heard Tatsuki come home, but she didn't say hello and instead went straight to her room. Hiori and Yoruichi continued to converse into the late hours of the night, and by three that morning Hiori understood the basics of Spiritual Energy and Kido. Finally resigning herself to the fact that she would never get any sleep, Hiori went ahead and changed back into her school uniform, listening intently while she buttoned up her shirt as Yoruichi explained the process by which souls became Hollows. She looked at the clock, not understanding how they could have possibly kept talking all this time- It was now six thirty. Outside of her door she heard Tatsuki scramble to get ready, knocking on her door briefly and telling her to wake up.

"I've got school, so..." Hiori muttered, jerking her thumb at the door and picking up her school bag. Yoruichi nodded, yawning loudly and stretching as she did so.

"Be careful, kiddo, there's a Hollow on the loose," she warned, and Hiori paused, her hand resting on the doorknob.

"How do you know?" she asked, thinking back to the Hollow she had chased away the day before.

"I can feel its Reiatsu- I'll teach you that, eventually." she replied. Hiori sighed, pressing her forehead against the door briefly. When was she going to find time in the day to get any of this done? "By the way, when you get back we need to heal up that wound of yours. It reeks of Hollow- If you continue to leave it as is it'll fester and putrefy." Hiori made a face. Those two words used to describe a wound did not sound pretty in the slightest, and she wasn't too keen to find out exactly what 'putrefaction' entailed.

Hiori ran down the stairs swiftly, taking them two at a time. She arrived in the kitchen, grabbing half of Tatsuki's bagel as the two halves popped out of the toaster. Tatsuki frowned.

"Hiori, make your own-"

"Sorry Tatsuki, can't talk, gotta run, 'kay bye," she said quickly, her words running together, holding the bagel in between her lips as she put on her shoes. Yanking the door open, she felt the cool morning air hit her exposed skin as she shut the door behind her, making her way down the street towards school. She took a detour, which was longer than her normal route, arriving at school a little late. She was sure that the bell had already rung, and that Tatsuki was probably raging from the classroom. She walked up the steps, taking them two at a time, and turned the corner, only to run into Kurosaki Ichigo. She yelped, nearly toppling over and falling down the stairs, but Ichigo caught her around the shoulders, pulling her back towards him. Although they were briefly locked in a very intimate looking embrace, Ichigo hardly gave Hiori time to absorb the situation before pulling her back, staring her hard in the eyes.

"Have you seen Chad?" he asked seriously, and Hiori's eyes widened.

"He's missing?" she asked, and Ichigo nodded, a panicked expression on his face. "I was with him, just yesterday. There was a Hollow and cars and that stupid cockatiel-"

"So there was definitely a Hollow," Ichigo muttered, running his hands through his hair, looking agitated. "Wait, you were in that five car pile up with him?" he asked, clearly unsure as to how she had gotten out apparently unscathed.

"Oh, yeah..." she replied, rolling up her short sleeves a little farther to reveal the long cut she'd gotten. She had originally thought that it had been from hitting the blacktop too hard, but she was now certain that such an act could cause such an injury- Perhaps this was why she 'reeked of Hollow', as Yoruichi had so bluntly put it. Ichigo's eyes widened, taking her arm.

"Why didn't you come with Chad to the clinic?" he asked, and Hiori shrugged. Gripping her arm tighter, he pulled her along behind him as he walked down the stairs.

"Where are you-"

"You're helping me find Chad." he replied resolutely, releasing her arm and continuing to walk. A moment later he broke into a fast jog, and Hiori sprinted to catch up with him, quickly matching his pace. Yoruichi had said that she could sense something called 'Reiatsu', or Spiritual Pressure, but so far Hiori had no such luck in doing so.

"Ichigo!" a voice called, and the pair stopped running, turning around to see Rukia jumped down from a wall behind them. "Any trace of him?" she asked, pausing and casting Hiori a suspicious look before continuing. "There's nothing down my way."

"Not anything here, either." Ichigo replied as Hiori caught her breath. "Can you sense a Hollow?" Rukia shook her head.

"Nothing on the radar, either." she muttered, glaring at the device briefly.

"Is it possible that it returned to Hueco Mundo?" Hiori asked, recalling Yoruichi mentioning the Hollow's home.

"Yes, but- I... Wait," Rukia stuttered, casting Hiori a shifty glance. "How do you know what Hueco Mundo is?"

"Uh..." Hiori began, not quite knowing how to go about explaining herself. Now was hardly the time for her to go into detail about how, after arriving home, she had discovered a naked ex-Shinigami sleeping in her bed. But before she could say what she was thinking, Ichigo interrupted.

"That cockatiel- If I trace the spiritual energy, couldn't we find Chad, too?" he said, but Rukia shook her head.

"No, that's not possible." she replied, but Ichigo had already begun to concentrate. Hiori felt a strange sensation overtake her body, and the harder ichigo concentrated the more intense the feeling became. Long white ribbons materialized before her, and her eyes widened at the sight. She marveled at the ribbons, and she remembered Yoruichi's brief explanation of seeking out specific spiritual energies.

_"It's a process called Reiroku. It is a special technique only used by high-level Shinigami."_

As Hiori recalled this, she watched as Ichigo's face stretched into a triumphant grin. He reached out, grasping onto one of the ribbons. Was he really so powerful that he could use such an advanced technique?

"Found him!" he yelled, turning and dashing away in another direction. "This way!" Hiori and Rukia exchanged glances, each girl pausing briefly before following the boy. After sprinting down the street for several minutes, the person they had been searching for finally made an appearance, rounding the corner in front of them and glancing their way briefly before turning and running in the other direction.

"Chad! Don't run, it's dangerous by yourself!" Ichigo called, speeding up. Hiori stopped, noticing a young dark haired girl making her way up the street to her left.

"Ichi... go..." she murmured, and Ichigo stopped running instantly.

"Karin!" Ichigo rushed to the girl's side as she collapsed, falling face first into his arms.

"I'll follow him, Ichigo." Rukia said, turning away from him.

"But-"

"Don't complain. You'd only worry if you left her here," she said, taking a few steps forward. "So take her and go!"

"You haven't gotten all of your powers back, so... Rukia, don't push yourself too hard," Ichigo muttered, picking Karin up.

"Fool. Don't think I'd make the mistake of causing you to worry," she replied, turning and sprinting in the other direction. Ichigo watched her go, shifting Karin's weight in his arms. Rukia rounded the corner, disappearing from sight.

"Ichigo," Hiori muttered, walking closer. Ichigo glanced up from his sister, meeting the large gray eyes that were staring into his. Hiori towered over Rukia, as she was only an inch or so shorter than Ichigo himself, and she held out her arms. "I'll take Karin. I'll keep her safe," she said, her gaze hardening seriously.

"Hiori, I don't think-"

"You just said, didn't you?" she said, raising her voice and speaking over Ichigo. "Rukia hasn't gotten her powers back. She has no way of countering the Hollow when it comes back, and neither do I. You're leaving the wrong people here to take care of the situation- I'll take your sister, you go get Chad and the damn cockatiel." she reasoned, placing her arms directly under his, her skin brushing against the fabric of his school uniform.

"I saw it," Karin muttered, and Hiori glanced down at the small girl in Ichigo's arms. "The memories of that boy inside the cockatiel... Probably because we are closest in age," she whispered, her voice coming out strained and hoarse. "They flowed into me, and... Right in front of that kids eyes... His mother was murdered in front of his own eyes!" she screamed, and she sounded as though she were holding back an incredible amount of tears. Her fists clutched Ichigo's jacket, and Hiori stared down at her, horrified. All this time, there had been a child's spirit inside of that bird? Was that why the Hollow was after Chad? The spirit of the child? "Please, Ichi! Save that kid!"

Karin went rigid, cold sweat dripping down the side of her face. It was quiet for a moment, and after a while Hiori was certain that Karin had passed out. She nodded, once again urging for Ichigo to pass her to him. She was a little heavier than she had expected, for such a tiny girl, but she held her up and stopped her arms from trembling to keep Ichigo from changing his mind. Hiori turned, pulling up the memories in her mind of where exactly Kurosaki Clinic was, although she knew she could never forget. That's where all this crazy Shinigami stuff had started, after all.

"You heard your sister, Ichigo." she said sternly, peering over her shoulder. "Go save the kid!"

* * *

><p>Hiori had eventually made it to Kurosaki Clinic, although she had lost her way several times. When she finally arrived, she had been out of breath and shaky, having been supporting the weight of the young Kurosaki girl for nearly an hour. Supporting Karin's back on her knee, she reached up to knock, but Karin stopped her.<p>

"It's fine, the door's open," she murmured tiredly, pressing her face into Hiori's shirt. She sighed heavily, sliding the door open with some effort before letting herself in. Karin continued to stare up at the girl, sensing that something was a little off with her, although she couldn't put her finger on what it was exactly. Not a minute after entering the clinic, Hiori was greeted by an exuberant man with short dark hair, who she had no choice to assume was Ichigo's father, although they differed exponentially in both their physical appearance as well as their personality.

"Hello, welcome to Kuro- Karin!" The man's expression turned to one of extreme worry as his eyes fell to the person that Hiori was carrying, and he immediately took her from the unfamiliar girl's arms. Hiori sighed in relief, shaking out her arms in an attempt to restore the blood flow that had been cut off by supporting so much weight for so long. She could feel the annoying pins and needles begin to set in. "Thank you for bringing her back. You are?" the man asked, sitting on a stool beside one of the clinic beds and sticking a thermometer in Karin's mouth, dabbing her face with a washcloth.

"Hitsugaya Hiori," she replied, holding out her hand. "I know your son from school." she explained, trying her best to be polite despite her exhaustion. The man's brows furrowed, and he swiveled in his stool to face her.

"Hitsugaya, you say?" he replied, narrowing his eyes at her. Something that looked like recognition sparked in his eyes, though Hiori couldn't tell why. She had never seen this man before in her life, not as far as she could remember. She nodded in reply, raising her eyebrows as the man continued to stare. "Ah, Kurosaki Isshin," he said finally, seeming to snap out of it. He held out his hand, and Hiori took it, shaking it briefly before turning and heading for the door. "Again, thanks for bringing her back." he said softly, staring down at Karin lovingly as she stirred in her sleep.

"Yeah, no problem." Hiori replied, yawning and finally exiting the clinic. She looked up at the sky, the deep orange color of the sunset making her eyes water. A large black swallowtail butterfly passed by several feet in front of her, and an odd sense of nostalgia came over as she watched it, her eyes following its rapidly beating wings as it took off down the street.


	6. Part 1: Bad Standard, the Mod Soul

After successfully delivering Kurosaki Karin back to Ichigo's home, Hiori had returned to the Arisawas. Neither Tatsuki or her parents had been present and, despite having already met her, Hiori was once again surprised by Yoruichi's appearance. Although Hiori protested that she was tired and hungry, Yoruichi had insisted that they train. The two continued for several hours, and Hiori's head was soon swimming with the many different incantations that accompanied the use of the Shinigami Demon Arts, more commonly known as Kido. Tatsuki had arrived home moments after Hiori had successfully performed the Kido spell 'Horin'. She had found her outside, alone and asleep, her black cat pawing her head cautiously where she lay on the ground.

Hiori rose early the following morning, which was new for her, considering she usually over slept. Yoruichi had foolish slept in her human form, startling Hiori when she had opened her eyes, her loud scream also succeeding in rousing Tatsuki. Yoruichi had been forced to speedily transform back into a cat to avoid being found out, and Tatsuki had entered the room just in time to see Hiori wringing the poor cat's neck. Hiori figured that it was going to be a shitty day from there on in.

"What's wrong with it?" Keigo's voice was the first thing to greet Hiori's ears as she entered the classroom. She turned in his direction, spying Chad sitting on the ground, the cockatiel cage set carefully in front of him. "He isn't speaking like he used to."

"It's been... That way since yesterday," Chad muttered, speaking in his normal slow voice. Hiori wandered over to her desk, all the while staring at the bird. She had missed all the action the night before, having been busy finding her way to Kurosaki Clinic. She no longer felt the strange feeling when around the cockatiel, which led her to believe that Ichigo had performed what Yoruichi had told her was called 'Konso' on the human spirit within the animal. No doubt Ichigo had also successfully killed the Hollow, although she noted there was always the possibility that it had made it back to its home in Hueco Mundo. She made a mental note to ask later.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Keigo called brightly, waving excitedly as the grumpy looking boy made his way into the classroom. He observed their antics with the bird for a few minutes, finally having enough of it and walking over to his desk in front of Hiori.

"Hey." he muttered, setting his bag down. "Thanks for getting Karin home," he said, and Hiori felt a small smile tug on her lips despite herself.

"No problem. You're dad certainly is... Interesting," she replied, not really knowing how to describe the overly energetic middle aged man. Ichigo sighed, digging his hands in his pockets and frowning up at the ceiling.

"Stupid guy," he sighed, and Hiori chuckled, brushing her side fringe out of her eyes.

"How'd things go with that Hollow?" she asked, remembering her thoughts only minutes prior.

"Sent the bastard to Hell." he replied, glaring icily out the window at nobody in particular.

"I can't feel anything from the bird anymore..." Hiori observed, her eyes shifting over to where Chad was sitting. "Did you perform Konso?"

"Yeah. By the way, Rukia's been pestering me- Where are you getting all this Shinigami intel?" he asked, making brief eye contact before Hiori looked away quickly, feeling uncomfortable. Yet again, she felt that this wasn't quite the time to explain herself. Besides, how was she supposed to tell him that she was learning it from some mysterious woman who had pretended to be a cat for nearly two years?

"Uh..." Hiori began, her cheeks feeling hot as Ichigo continued his relentless staring. Aside from no longer being able to think clearly, she had no idea what to say. Luckily, she was saved by the very girl who had put her in this predicament in the first place.

"Good morning, everyone!" Rukia beamed, earning herself deadpan looks from both Hiori and Ichigo. Hiori often wondered why Rukia put up such a polite facade when at school, not really understanding why she couldn't just act the way she did around herself and Ichigo. If she wasn't even from the world of the living, their personal opinions of her should hardly matter to her.

"Rukia, this is odd, you showing up late." Mizuiro said, but Rukia shrugged it off, explaining that she'd had a brief family emergency.

"Anyways, Kurosaki-kun, do you have a moment?" she asked brightly, making her way over to where Hiori and Ichigo were standing and giving him a sickeningly sweet smile. Ichigo frowned down at the tiny girl.

"If you've got something to say, then just-" Ichigo's words were cut short by a sudden blow to the side of his head, and Rukia promptly dragged him out of the room by his collar, saying that he looked sick and she'd be more than happy to take him to the nurse. As the rest of the class stood in stunned silence, Hiori slipped out of the room, following the pair outside to the courtyard. When she arrived Ichigo was standing alone, and Hiori wondered briefly where Rukia had run off to- But she was brought out of her thoughts suddenly as Ichigo turned and kicked in the wall behind him. She gasped quietly, but it was enough for him to hear.

"Well hey there," he said, and Hiori quickly realized that his way of speaking had changed. Was that really Ichigo? She took a step back, unsure of what to expect from the strange Ichigo look alike. "What's your name?" he asked, smirking and walking towards her, his hands in his pockets. Hiori raised an eyebrow- Ichigo knew her name, so this definitely wasn't him. Caught up in her frantic thoughts, she didn't realize how close the pseudo-Ichigo actually was. "I said 'What's your name'." he murmured, grabbing her forcefully and picking her up off of the ground.

"H-hey... You!" she yelled, unsure of what to call this boy who, although he looked exactly like him, was definitely not Ichigo. "Put me down!" she commanded, squirming in his arms. Ichigo smirked, but was distracted as a janitor appeared in front of him, asking what they were doing outside of class.

"Uh oh, looks like we've been found out!" he snickered, bending his knees before pushing off of the ground roughly. Hiori barely repressed a yelp, covering her eyes as she realized how far from the ground they actually were.

"Who are you!" Hiori yelled, and the Ichigo-boy peered down at her with a triumphant grin.

"That doesn't matter, does it?" he replied, landing on a roof and pausing for a moment before taking off into the air once again. "What matters is that I'm finally free!"

"You can't just go jumping through town like this- This is Ichigo's body, what if someone sees you?" Hiori scolded, flinching slightly as she felt Ichigo's fingers slide a little farther up her thigh. This would probably make the top ten in Hiori's list of most awkward situations in her life.

"Let them see me! I want them to all look at me!" he replied giddily, taking a particularly enthusiastic leap that sent a sudden jolt through Hiori's heart- She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Although every time they landed on a roof Hiori attempted to squirm out of his grasp, he never stayed in one place long enough for her to free herself, always taking off just as he felt his grip on her thighs and shoulders loosen. Once sky-bound, Hiori had no choice but to comply with his wishes and remain still in his arms, though this did not stop her from grumbling and cursing the Ichigo look alike for a minute, at least not until he stopped to watch some boys play their video games.

Hiori had initially been confused as to why he had stopped, and as he sat and watched the group of kids intently she had attempted to struggle free of his grasp. He was surprisingly strong, although Hiori didn't know whether or not it was Ichigo's actual strength or if it was brought on by whatever crazed spirit was currently occupying his body. A moment later, Ichigo had gone berserk, breaking the boys' games in half before taking off once again.

"What'd you do that for?" she asked, raising her voice simply because the rushing wind was impairing her ability to hear.

"They were needlessly destroying those things." he replied. "They were talking about killing them for no reason and making better ones." he continued, speaking stiffly. Hiori fell silent, not quite understanding why it hurt him so deeply, but sensing that he was distressed. He landed on the street. Ignoring Hiori as she insisted that he put her down, he continued to jog at an impressive pace. Hiori stopped struggling, earning a curious stare from her captor, who was beginning to enjoy overpowering her.

"You... Something's here..." she murmured, glancing around. Yoruichi had attempted to teach her more about sensing Reiatsu and Reiryoku, but so far Hiori hadn't gotten very good at it. Aside from the incident with the cockatiel, this was the only other time she had sensed anything remotely similar to a Reiatsu. Ichigo paused, spinning around quickly with a tense expression on his face.

"It's a Hollow," he hissed, taking off in the direction that they had just come from. They arrived in no time back at the schoolyard they had only just left, the same group of boys were huddled in the center, arguing amongst themselves. Hiori gaped, watching as the enormous creature reared up in the air and prepared to bear down on the unsuspecting children. Ichigo finally dropped her, setting her down and taking off in their direction. He pulled them out of the way just in time, and Hiori suddenly found herself separated by an enormous cloud of dust, the caterpillar like Hollow rising up and turning to snap its pincers at her. She stared up at it, only half noticing as the kids screamed and ran off. Ichigo ran recklessly towards the Hollow as it turned towards Hiori, earning himself a painful scratch on his shoulder as the Hollow struggled to turn its enormous body towards Hiori. Shoving down her panic, Hiori recalled what Yoruichi had taught her, remembering the words she had spoken before performing one of many Kido spells- _"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!"_

Hiori took a deep breath, concentrating and forming a seal with her hands, running through the different incantations in her mind several times. The only time she had ever successfully performed Kido was under stressed conditions, and she'd had no control over it. She could hear the Hollow getting closer, and she furrowed her brow painfully. She raised her arms in front of her, undoing the seal and leaving her palms flat against the air, opening her eyes to watch as the monster came careening towards her.

"What are you doing, run!" the pseudo-Ichigo screamed, leaping towards her. A moment later, Hiori blinked, and the Hollow made contact with Her Kido- Seki. A light blue pulsating light shone in front of her palms, deflecting the Hollow's face away from her body and in the other direction, leaving Ichigo an opening to kick it in the face. However, this only served to anger the Hollow further, and Ichigo was forced to leap to the roof, drawing it away from Hiori, who remained on the ground. She was breathing heavily, and she brought her palm up to her face to observe it. It was smoking.

She heard the Hollow scream, which brought her out of her thoughts. Finally regaining her senses, Hiori sprinted into the building, ignoring the questioning stares of the people inside as she tackled the stairs three at a time. She had never been a good runner, and she was already beginning to wheez. Spying the door to the roof she sighed in relief, ripping it open just in time to see the real Ichigo- Or at least, the spirit of the real Ichigo, cut through one of the Hollow's many legs. No sooner had he done this did he have his body by the collar, pulling him close.

"You're injured- Whose body do you think this is!" he bellowed, a furious expression on his face. "If you're gonna get hurt fighting trash like this, then don't get involved!" he continued, pointing his sword at the Hollow without turning around. Hiori wondered if he had meant to use this act to impale the Hollow yet again, but judging by the fact that he was still yelling, she assumed that he hadn't.

"I was fighting because you took forever to get here!" the other Ichigo protested. "If I hadn't, the Hollow would've eaten those kids and this girl!" he said, pointing in Hiori's direction.

"I did fine on my own, th-"

"We only took so long to get here because when we got back to school we found out that you'd gone off parading around town on your own!" Ichigo retorted, pointing his sword at him. Hiori's eyes shifted, watching as the Hollow quickly began to lose his patience with the arguing Ichigos.

"You... Bastards... I'LL EAT BOTH OF YOU!" it roared, lunging for them. Hiori moved to push them away, but Ichigo beat her to it, turning around and slicing the Hollow upwards through its mask. It flew backwards through the air, and before she'd had time to blink the other Ichigo was gone, nearly falling off of the roof in an attempt to kick the Hollow one final time- Ichigo just barely caught him, and the two were dangling dangerously off of the edge of the building. Hiori rushed up behind Ichigo, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him back with some effort.

"Hiori?" Ichigo asked, getting his bearings once she had pulled the two of them back up.

"Oh_, _so _that's_ your name," the other Ichigo said, looking Hiori up and down. She frowned, crossing her arms and glaring at him heatedly.

"You brought her here, too!" Ichigo bellowed, once again grabbing him by the collar. "Stop causing problems! And why'd you throw yourself off of the roof like that, huh? You're forgetting whose body you're in!"

"There... A line of ants was there." he murmured. Hiori looked to the ground, and sure enough, right where the Hollow would have landed there was a thick line of marching ants. She wondered why someone would risk their like- And another's body- To save maybe ten tiny ants. "I won't let anything die... The day that I was made in Soul Society, I was condemned to die. Who's to decide my life? Day by day, I watched my friends disappear, and even after I had escaped and hidden with other pills, I was always afraid I would be found out... That's why, I won't ever let anything be killed." Ichigo and Hiori were silent, exchanging solemn glances as they stood above the injured boy. "Life and death... It isn't something that should be decided by others."

"My, my." said a voice, and Hiori felt her heart make a wild jump, a small yelp of surprise escaping her lips. "We finally found you, and you're all roughed up." Hiori didn't know how he'd gotten between herself and Ichigo's body so quickly. She hadn't even seen him walk over. She met Ichigo's eyes once again, and he looked equally confused. The man in front of them had messy blonde hair, which was covered by a green and white striped hat. His feet were adorned by clunky wooden sandals, and he held a cane in his left hand, which he was slowly lifting up, placing it in front of Ichigo's forehead. "That makes all the equipment... Totally useless." he murmured, and Hiori gasped as he sent the end of his cane straight through the boy's head. A small green pill hit the ground, bouncing several times before stopping and remaining still on the ground. Ichigo's body now fell limp on the rooftop.

"Ichigo, what is that?" Hiori asked, glancing up at the orange haired Shinigami beside her.

"A Mod Soul." he replied, watching as the man bent down and picked up the small pill.

"Mission accomplished." he said triumphantly, and Hiori then noticed the other people that had also appeared on the roof along with him. The man turned, his eyes glancing at Ichigo briefly before settling on Hiori. "Well, well. I wouldn't have expected to see you here," he said jovially, and Hiori raised an eyebrow.

"Hiori, you know him?" Ichigo asked, giving her a look and pointing at the man.

"Uh, no?" she said, meeting his eyes and shrugging. "Never seen him before." she replied, and the man's face fell.

"Ah, I see." he murmured, and Hiori's confusion increased ten fold. Did she know this man? She was sure that she had never seen him before, but he seemed upset by the fact that she couldn't recall his name, face, or how she knew him. He turned around, tossing the little green pill up and down in his hands.

"Hey! What do you plan to do with that?" Ichigo asked, lunging for the man.

"Dispose of it, why?" he asked, peering over his shoulder. Ichigo froze.

"He can... He can see you..." Hiori murmured, peering over Ichigo's shoulder at the strange man. He had tired looking eyes, and he was looking at Ichigo as though he were stupid.

"Who... Who are you?" Ichigo asked, and the man made a questioning face, scratching his head through his hat.

"Hm... How to explain..."

"He's a greedy salesman, that's what." said a voice, and a hand shot out and grabbed the pill from the man's open palm. Rukia had finally made an appearance, and she walked over to stand on Ichigo's other side. Hiori eyed the little pill carefully, promising herself mentally to ask Yoruichi about Mod Souls when she got home.

"Don't take that, Kuchiki-san!" the man protested, but Rukia merely gave him a weary glance.

"Don't tell me you take back merchandise without a refund?" Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances. Rukia had bought such a thing from a store? Here, in Karakura town?

"I'll pay-"

"No need. I'm satisfied with this product." Rukia replied, placing the small pill in Ichigo's hand before turning away. The man warned her that they would play dumb if trouble came, and from that brief exchange Hiori deduced that whatever this 'Mod Soul' was, it certainly sounded as though it were illegal. The man turned to go, pausing briefly and turning back around to meet Hiori's eyes.

"Anyways, Hitsugaya-san. Ask that cat of yours to bring you by my shop." he said fondly, and Hiori's eyes widened. Did Yoruichi know this man? Ichigo glanced her way, nudging her in the ribs and giving her a questioning look. She shrugged again, and he raised his eyebrows, but the man interrupted their silent conversation. "It'd be beneficial to us both, I think, if we could have a chance to talk." And without another word he and his posse left the roof.

* * *

><p><strong>Some slight changes, since Hiori followed them she met Kon instead of him going up to the classroom and such. This is showing the progression of Hiori's knowledge and skills in Shinigami arts (like Kido), and possibly a little more about her past will be revealed to her in coming chapters. Reviews are appreciated!<strong>


	7. Part 1: Forgotten Names, Forgotten Faces

...

* * *

><p>"If I were the rain, could I connect to someone's heart, as the rain can unite the eternally seperated earth and sky?"<p>

* * *

><p>Hiori got little sleep that night, the mysterious man's words continuously floating through her mind. She had said nothing to Yoruichi about her encounter with the man in the striped hat, but she figured that since the man already seemed to know of her, she would find out all on her own soon enough. The following morning Hiori felt as though she were half dead, having spent the entire night laying on her back staring at the ceiling.<p>

"Lookin' rough this morning, Hiori," Tatsuki said as they walked to school. The scowl that Hiori had already been wearing deepened at the unneeded comment from her 'sister'. She sighed, bringing her hands up to her face and feeling under her eyes, where she knew she was sporting brilliantly dark circles. "Didn't sleep well?"

"Nope," Hiori replied sharply, figuring that at least that much should be more than obvious.

"That's a first," Tatsuki replied, and they rounded the corner that lead up to their school building. Upon entering the classroom the girls ceased speaking, since Hiori didn't really get along with Tatsuki's friends- Particularly Orihime, if she were asked to name names. The day passed in a blur, as Hiori was extremely distracted, not to mention exhausted. She did note, however, that Ichigo was very tense that day. He had even greeted Orihime happily, a large fake smile plastered on his typically scowling face.

Throughout her classes, Hiori ran over different things that had happened to her in the past several days. What seemed the most difficult to wrap her head around was how, after all these years of being alive, she was only just now showing these strange signs of having spiritual powers of any shape or form. Hiori couldn't even recall having ever made contact with spirits prior to her meeting Ichigo and Rukia, nor did she remember having ever used the Shinigami Art of Kido.

Another strange situation had presented itself rather recently, and it appeared to be something of a reoccurring thing. It seemed that people she had never before met in the course of her life, a short fifteen years, were familiar with her. Whether it was her appearance or her name, she didn't know. But the man in the wooden sandals hadn't been the only one who seemed to have met her before, considering Kurosaki Isshin's reaction to her the day that they first met. Not to mention Rukia's growing suspicion of her ever since the day she learned her name, the first time they had been formally introduced.

Hiori had run her worries past Yoruichi who, for obvious reasons, had become her number one go-to person on any and all issues concerning Shinigami-related predicaments. The cat woman had assured her that they must be mistaken, although Hiori had bypassed over the part where the man in the hat had outright told her that he knew her. Had she said this, Yoruichi might have figured out that Hiori had been invited to chat with this stranger, and she really wasn't too keen on being dragged all over town by the purple haired woman to find said stranger. For starters, he already pretty suspicious, and on top of that she didn't even know where he lived. How he had expected her to find him in the first place she had no idea- Then she remembered the part where he had instructed her to tell her 'cat friend'.

As if.

Ichigo gave her a nod of acknowledgment as she waved goodbye to both him and Rukia at the end of the day, still acting much more tense than usual. Hiori made a mental note to herself to interrogate Tatsuki, who had once again ditched her for Orihime, at dinner later that night. That was, assuming that she didn't invite the large breasted bean jam enthusiast over for dinner, as well.

Hiori stopped outside of the school, dropping her bag and tying her hair up in a ponytail before once again taking off for home. Deciding on a whim to be adventurous, she settled on taking a slightly longer way home, making a random turn at the end of the street. The farther down the unfamiliar road she got, the more deserted it became, and she quickly began to regret her decision. After half an hour or so of walking, she came upon a small wooden building, a sign over the door reading 'Urahara Shop' in large yellow letters. She paused, taking a few steps back to get the full view of the building. She couldn't recall ever having seen it, but then again, she couldn't recall meeting the strange man the following day when, clearly, she had.

"Ah. Hitsugaya-san. I see you've taken me up on my offer." said a cheery voice, and Hiori felt like her heart had leapt out of her chest. She turned swiftly, whipping herself in the face with her own hair in the process. After much sputtering a spitting as she attempted to get her hair out of her mouth, she finally saw who had spoken.

"It's hat-and-sandals!" she gasped, pointing at the man. He gave her a curious look.

"Oh? Is that what you're calling me?"

"It's not like we know your name," she replied, crossing her arms and finally regaining her composure. She mentally smacked herself for not giving the man a better first impression. He chuckled, taking a step closer, and Hiori suddenly felt very uncomfortable. What if he didn't know her, and had just lured her here under false pretenses so he could abduct her? And here she was, alone, in the middle of an unfamiliar dead end street.

"Where is Yoruichi?" he asked finally, and instantly Hiori's suspicions were replaced with flaring curiosity.

"You know her?" she asked, gazing up at the man. He was maybe two inches taller than Ichigo, who was taller than Hiori was. She wasn't used to having to look up at people.

"Well of course," the man replied, resting his hands inside the long dark sleeves of the jacket he was wearing. "Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't bring her along. I would have preferred to have talked to the two of you together." Hiori paused, shifting her school bag in her arms uncomfortably.

"I... I guess I could come back, later?" she murmured, posing it as more of a question than a statement. A small smile spread over the man's face, and he tipped his hat to her a little.

"That would be much appreciated, Miss," he replied. Hiori and the man continued to stand in what appeared to be awkward silence, although in reality they were each attempting to figure out just what exactly the other was thinking. Hiori was also attempting to recall the man's appearance somewhere in her foggy memories, but so far she couldn't match this face to any of the ones she had come into contact with over the course of her life. She was now certain that she had never met this man before.

"Is this your store?" Hiori asked, jerking her thumb over in the direction of the small building to their right.

"Ah, you're very sharp, Hitsugaya-san." he replied jovially, and Hiori raised an eyebrow. There was nothing to be impressed about, it had only been a random guess. "That is indeed my store- Any guess as to what my merchandise is?"

"Shinigami shit?" she retorted, and the man let out a low chuckle.

"Right again, Hitsugaya-san." he congratulated, a small smile stretching his lips. "Although I'm sure you could have said it in a more polite way,"

"You know, you say my name an awful lot." she observed, prodding him roughly in the chest with her index finger. "But I have no idea what your name is." The man bowed his head, preparing to introduce himself.

"Urahara Kisuke, at your service," he said, lifting up his head to look at her.

"How do you know me, Urahara-san?" she asked, meeting the taller man's eyes as he righted himself once again. "And how do you know my cat?"

"Ah, Yoruichi." he said, sighing heavily, not particularly sure how to begin explaining. "To put it simply, we are old friends."

"You and my cat are old friends?" she asked incredulously, and Urahara adjusted the hat on his head.

"I'm sure that you are well aware by now that your cat isn't really a cat, Hitsugaya-san." Hiori pressed her lips into a firm line. Evidently, the man really did know her cat- Or the woman who turned into her cat. The whole situation was fairly complicated. She felt Urahara nudge her arm, and she looked down to see him holding out her school bag. "If you're leaving, you won't want to forget this, I'm sure." he said, and Hiori took the bag cautiously, not remembering having ever set it down. Hiori mentally noted that she seemed to have a notoriously bad memory.

"Well then, I'll bring Yoruichi with me next time, I guess..." she muttered, casting Urahara one last shifty glance before turning and making her way down the street.

"Come back soon, Hitsugaya-san!" he called after her, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he was waving his hat in the air. It took her a decent amount of time to find her way back to her house, the never ending maze of streets making her head spin, and she made a promise with herself to never take detours in Karakura town ever again- Despite having lived there for so long, she was still able to get hopelessly lost, it seemed.

"Hey, Tatsuki." Hiori sighed, shutting the front door tightly behind her.

"Where have you been?" she replied sternly, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at her sternly. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Oh, good, I'm-"

"Welcome home, Hiori-chan!" Hiori shuddered, the all too familiar voice making her want to gag. Inoue Orihime was waving to her from the other end of the kitchen, a ladle in her hands dripping a red colored sauce onto the tiled floor.

"On second thought, I'm not very hungry." she muttered, shooting Orihime a glare before heading towards the stairs. "Orihime, stop dripping stuff on out floor, will you?" she scolded, and she heard the girl emit a high pitched squeak as she realized what she was doing. She walked up the stairs, muttering to herself the entire way, thoroughly put out that Tatsuki had actually ended up inviting Orihime to dinner.

"And where were you this afternoon?" A feminine voice greeted her as she opened the door, and she looked over to her bed, meeting the stern eyes of Yoruichi. "We were supposed to practice Kido,"

"Haven't we done that enough?" Hiori whined, slumping onto the bed beside the dark skinned woman, who was frowning.

"Of course not!" she replied. "Do you have any idea how many different spells there are in Kido?"

"That's a negative, Miss," Hiori retorted, smirking over at Yoruichi as her frown deepened, clearly not appreciating her sarcastic behavior. "Anyways, I was with a friend of yours," she explained, and Yoruichi raised her eyebrows curiously. "_Urahara Kisuke._ Ring any bells, Yoruichi?" It was Yoruichi's turn to smirk, and she leaned back in her bed, sighing contentedly.

"So, Urahara's contacted you." she murmured.

"Is that supposed to be a big deal, or something?" Hiori asked, laying back on her bed beside Yoruichi. The woman laying beside her was the closest thing she'd had to what people called a 'best friend' in her life. Even though she and Tatsuki did get along, they never before had confided anything of great importance in each other, and Hiori doubted the she could ever replace Inoue Orihime on Tatsuki's list of friends.

"No, not particularly, I suppose." Yoruichi replied, shutting her eyes briefly. "It just means things are progressing a little faster than I had anticipated."

"What things?" Hiori asked. She didn't really expect an answer, since up until now Yoruichi had withheld many a piece of interesting information from her.

"People from Soul Society have, by now, probably begun looking for Rukia." she replied, and Hiori rolled over on her side.

"Why? Can she not be gone for more than a given amount of time?"

"Well, it goes without saying that her being gone all this time should arouse some suspicion," she said, continuing to stare at the ceiling. "But giving your powers to a human as she did is, loosely put, frowned upon in Soul Society." Hiori remained quiet for a moment, absorbing this new information. She hadn't expected for it to be such a serious situation.

"I see..." she muttered, pushing herself off of the bed and walking over to her school bag, pulling out one of her text books. As she turned around, she noticed a small slip of paper flutter to the floor, a light crinkling noise alerting her of its presence. Holding her text book with one hand, she bent over and picked it up off of the hardwood floor. The paper was wrinkled, and she set down her text book before smooth the paper out on the surface of her desk. There were several characters scrawled neatly in the middle of the paper, and she hear Yoruichi sit up on the bed.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, not moving from her spot but shifting slightly in an attempt to spot what Hiori was staring at. She continued to stare at the paper, blatant shock written all over her face. There, in the middle of the paper, was a name. The vague familiarity that came over her just by reading and rereading it over to herself concerned Hiori greatly, and she once again repeated the name, this time whispering it under her breath.

"Hitsugaya... Toshiro..."

The name echoed in Hiori's mind for the rest of the night and, despite Yoruichi's persistent questions, she refused to divulge what was written on the little slip of paper. After much thinking, she deduced that Urahara Kisuke was the culprit, knowing full well that she herself had certainly not put the paper in her bag, and Urahara had been the only other person to hold it all day. She pulled the covers all the way under her chin, Yoruichi's steady breathing from beside her calming her slightly. She was once again in cat form, curling up in a ball by Hiori's head.

Despite the fact the Hiori had never heard the name 'Hitsugaya Toshiro' before, every time she said it over to herself she couldn't help but feel like there were a plethora of memories attached to it. Whoever the person was, it was clear that she was related to them. Hitsugaya, after all, was not a very common name in her experience. After much thought, she finally settled on the possibility that this person could have possibly been her father- After all, she was an orphan, and she had been found alone.

She glanced at the clock, which informed her that it was five in the morning. Hiori frowned, finally realizing that this was the third day that she had gone without sleep. Mentally cursing her irregular sleeping habits, she pushed herself out of bed, walking towards her closet quietly so as not to wake Yoruichi. She let her hands roam over the different clothes hanging inside, finally settling on an article of clothing in the very back. Pulling it off the hanger she held it up to her body, looking herself over in the full length mirror.

The robin's egg blue of her one and only dress stood out against her deep red hair, the smooth fabric feeling nice against the fleshy pads of her fingers. She carefully slipped it on before running her eyes over her sparse shoe collection, finally deciding on a pair of black Keds, which she laced up quickly. Running a brush once through her waist length hair, she grabbed a small back pack from the coat hanger on her wall, stuffing in a water bottle and a watch, not bothering with it enough to put it around her wrist.

Grabbing the small slip of paper from her bedside table, Hiori patted Yoruichi on the head softly before heading out of her door and down the stairs. The house was still and quiet, Tatsuki having yet to wake up to get ready for school. Looking in the fridge, Hiori took a large slice of bread that she could only assume was what had been left over from Orihime's horrible cooking the night before, slathering it in butter and grabbing a bag of crackers before exiting the front door. The sun was already shining brightly over the horizon, so instead of taking the bus Hiori opted to walk instead.

After having contemplated long and hard on the name written on the paper Urahara had stealthily slipped into her bag, Hiori had finally decided to investigate the matter herself. If the person named was indeed her father, it was always possible that he was buried in the local cemetery, assuming that he had died instead of abandoning her, which is what she preferred to think. About an hour in, Hiori assumed that she was once again hopelessly lost, and she stopped at a bus station to check for directions.

"Stupid map," she muttered, squinting at the large red star which read 'You are Here' in blocky yellow letters. Other than that, the map told her nothing that was of help, as it was rather large and difficult to navigate with your eyes. She couldn't even find the cemetery, which irked her a considerable amount. Finally giving up, she resigned herself to asking strangers for directions. She knew she sounded quite morbid, asking for directions to the cemetery on such a lovely day. She refused to meet their eyes, knowing that she would probably see pity in some form or other.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro..." Hiori muttered to herself, staring up at the gates to the Karakura town cemetery. The sun was now gleaming brightly over head, and she was sure Tatsuki would bite her head off as soon as she found her. Hiori stepped through the gates, shielding her large gray eyes from the sun with her hand as she made her way to the closest row of tombstones. With a graveyard as big as this, she knew that such a venture was likely to end in failure, and even then it was doubtful that this Hitsugaya Toshiro was even in the cemetery to begin with.

All too soon it seemed that her legs were aching, and she felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of her face slowly. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, pulling her water bottle out of her back pack and taking a long, refreshing gulp. She sighed heavily in an attempt to blow out any excess heat from within her body, but it was of little help. She then reached her hands behind her head under her hair, removing any that hung over her neck and draping it over her shoulders. The cool air greeted the overheated skin of the back of her neck, and she felt her body temperature drop.

"Hiori?" She jumped, having been concentrating on the names of each grave marker that she passed. Glancing up, her eyes met with a familiar face, and she froze. "What are you doing here?" Ichigo was standing in front of a grave, his expression solemn but confused, looking her up and down. "Why're you wearing a dress?" Hiori flushed, her hands nervously tugging on the fabric around her thighs.

"I can wear a dress if I want!" she retorted, but in truth she had never been one for wearing dresses. She actually disliked wearing girly clothes, such as dresses and skirts, but she had figured she should at least look nice should she find the name she was looking for on one of these many graves. "A-anyways, what are you doing here?"

"I asked you first." Ichigo retorted, taking a few steps closer to her. "You didn't follow me here like Rukia, did you?" Hiori arched an eyebrow.

"Rukia followed you?" she repeated, glancing around but not seeing the short girl anywhere. "Why?"

"In case a Hollow showed up," he replied, but not looking too happy about the situation. Hiori nodded, a sort of awkward atmosphere settling over the two briefly before Ichigo once again broke the silence. "So, why're you here?"

"I... Well, that's pretty-" Her words were cut off by the sound of whistle being blown, and both she and Ichigo covered their ears until the noise subsided.

"Damn that old man," he muttered, glaring in the direction from which the noise had come. Hiori smirked slightly, realizing that Ichigo must be referring to his father, and she recalled his exuberant personality. Her mind once again wandered to the reason for Ichigo being at the cemetery, and she noted that she had never before met Ichigo's mother. The possibility that perhaps Ichigo's mother was deceased made its way quickly into her mind.

"Why are you here, Ichigo?" she murmured, repeating the question that must have been said at least four times since they had run into each other. He was silent for a moment, digging his hands deeper into his pockets uncomfortably. Without a word, he walked over to the grave, and Hiori sensed that she was meant to follow. Appearing at Ichigo's side, she followed his gaze and stared down at the grave, which read 'Kurosaki Masaki'.

"It's the anniversary," he whispered, his eyes softening the longer he stared at the name etched in the clean white stone. Not knowing what else to do, Hiori reached into her bag and pulled out the crackers she had packed that morning and cautiously offering him one. She kept her eyes set on the grave, tensing slightly as she felt his fingertips brush against hers as he took the offered food.

"I'm sorry." she murmured, and she heard a crunch as Ichigo bit into the cracker.

"Don't be." he replied, sighing and closing his eyes. "You d-" Hiori's eyes widened, suddenly experiencing a strange sensation, as though something were pressing down on her from all sides. She had never been able to get the hang of detecting Reiatsu before, and this was only the second time she had experienced it with such force.

"Ichigo, is this...?" she began, glancing over at him as his expression hardened. He nodded.

"It's a Hollow." he growled.

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><p><strong>In this chapter there aren't many changes to canon, although Ichigo doesn't go down to meet his father after the whistle is blown like he did in the manga. This chapter marks the beginning of Hiori slowly remembering and coming to terms with her past, although she has yet to have any memories return to her permanently. I'm trying to progress her relationship with Ichigo as slowly as possible, and probably nothing will really happen between the two of them for some time. I'm also trying to pace myself with the evolution of her powers- They probably won't progress too much further until sometime after the Soul Society arc.<strong>

**I thought I'd go ahead and give a small description of Hiori, since I have yet to do so. Hitsugaya Hiori is fifteen years old (or so she thinks) and has waist length red hair, which is a very dark red and she has side bangs. Her eyes are gray and appear to be rather large for her face, although not in a way that seems odd. She's bony and has a similar physique to Tatsuki, as well as a similar fashion sense, although her breasts are considerably larger (NOT Orihime's size...). **

**Anyways, I'm trying to put a lot of thought into my writing, which has recently been lacking enough substance to produce a decent story. Reviews and feedback are always appreciated.**


	8. Part 1: Spirits Ain't Always With Us

...

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><p>"We come together like drops of water, like astral bodies. We oppose each other, like magnets, like colors of skin."<p>

* * *

><p>Hiori's body was almost completely submerged in the water, the rapidly cooling liquid seeping through her skin. She didn't know how long she had been sitting in the bath, but she knew that she hadn't left since her return from the cemetery. No one was home, and normally she would probably be out indulging in her favorite passtime- Walking aimlessly through the streets of Karakura town. Unfortunately, things at the cemetery that day had gone catastrophically wrong.<p>

Although the appearance of the Hollow known as King Fisher was hardly any fault of Hiori's, she had been of little help to Ichigo, and even Rukia. Even though she had practiced Kido with Yoruichi, she had barely been able to complete her level nine spell before being knocked unconscious by the enormous masked monster. What was more, she'd had to rely on Rukia to heal her, and relying on others wasn't something that she enjoyed doing.

She sighed heavily, sliding beneath the surface of the water, emitting bubbles from her lips as she breathed out under the water. Her sangria colored hair was floating around her in the tepid water. Hiori brought her hands up to her face, pressing the warm palms against her flushed cheeks. She felt embarrassed, hopeless, useless. She hadn't even lasted two minutes against King Fisher, and she had woken up with blood dripping down her face, laying next to a heavily injured Ichigo, which was the last thing she had wanted to see.

"You've been in there an awfully long time," said a voice, and Hiori nearly inhaled a mouthful of water, not having realized that her mouth was still partially submerged. "You're not trying to drown yourself, are you?" The door was still shut, and Hiori was a little surprised that someone like Yoruichi wouldn't just barge in unannounced- She seemed to have no problems with seeing people naked, much less having others see her naked.

"Yoruichi..." Hiori murmured, and she heard the door make a clicking noise as it was opened.

"What's up, kiddo?" the purple haired woman asked, shutting the door behind her and sitting on the edge of the bath. Hiori was quiet for a moment, bringing her knees up under her chin while she thought about things. "Where'd you go today, anyways?"

"I went to a cemetery." she answered flatly.

"...Can I ask why?" Yoruichi asked, drawing out her first word in a confused sort of way. Hiori briefly explained her meeting with hat-and-sandals, or Urahara Kisuke. Yoruichi listened intently as she explained how she had come to find his shop, and only showed a hint of surprise at the mention of the name that the man had written on the little slip of paper. "Hitsugaya Toshiro, you say?" Hiori nodded, staring up at Yoruichi expectantly. She was quiet for several minutes. "Well, I have no idea who that is."

"You're kidding?" Hiori muttered, shooting Yoruichi an unamused look. She shrugged nonchalantly, rolling her bright yellow eyes up at the ceiling. "After all that suspense?"

"Sorry t'disappoint ya'," she drawled, putting her hands behind her head and leaning against the wall behind her. "I dunno what Kisuke meant by that. Anyways, mind if I get in the bath?"

"Yes, actually, I do fucking mind!" Hiori growled, splashing water up at the woman, who frowned.

"You're never any fun." she whined. Sighing heavily, she stood from her perch and walked towards the door; Hiori stopped her.

"Yoruichi..." The woman made a noise in the back of her throat, peering over her shoulder.

"I need to get stronger, Yoruichi." she muttered, gesturing with her hands for Yoruichi to hand her a towel. She reluctantly complied, tossing the towel roughly at the red head's face.

"So, you're finally gonna start taking this stuff seriously, huh?" Hiori pouted, standing up and wrapping the towel around her in one swift motion. Yoruichi's eyes widened. "You've got a tattoo?"

"Wh-Well, I-" Yoruichi's poorly suppressed snicker finally made it through her lips, her eyebrows raised as high as possible. Choosing to ignore this, Hiori growled under her breath and stormed out of the room still dripping wet.

"Sorry, kiddo. You just never struck me as the type- What is it, anyways?"

"None of you're business." she snapped, slipping a shirt on over her towel before taking it off. "I won't tell you." Yoruichi shrugged, flopping onto the bed and smirking up at the ceiling.

"I'll see it eventually."

"No fucking way," Hiori said, sighing angrily before sitting down next to the purple haired woman. "Anyways, what I was saying earlier..."

"Yeah, right. I'll train you- But only a little." Hiori opened her mouth to protest, not understanding why she was being so difficult. It hadn't been long ago that she had been pestering her nonstop to train with her. But Yoruichi raised her finger, silencing her before she could say anything else. "I will be passing you off to Kisuke soon."

"How soon?"

"Eh, who knows?" she replied, sitting up swiftly and criss crossing her legs. Hiori frowned, throwing open her window in an attempt to cool down her room. "But there's some other stuff I'll need to take care of."

"What?" Yoruichi said nothing, and instead readjusted her position to lay her head on one of Hiori's pillows. Hiori shot her an icy glare before laying down next to her, shutting her eyes. It didn't take her long to dose off, the useless feeling that had been weighing her down for the entirety of the evening washing away as she lost consciousness. Inky black filled her mind, but she felt as though something was working its way up from her subconscious. Flashes of white broke through the solid black, and as she stared around, she saw the black transform into what looked to be a strange sort of maze. It boxed her in, a never ending cube of confusing twists and turns.

"So, you finally came." said a voice. Hiori jumped. She couldn't tell if this was a dream, but it certainly couldn't be real- But her senses seemed so sharp, so real. She didn't know what to think. The person who had spoken took another step towards her, and she moved her eyes up from their feet, which were bare. A pair of long legs were attatched to said feet, a pair of slim fitting black pants made of a flowy sort of material covering them. A tight black shirt with no sleeves covered their torso, and Hiori quickly noted that the person appeared to be male.

"You aren't... The person I saw before..." she whispered, moving her eyes up to meet his. A pair of startling blue eyes, not quite as neon-looking as the woman's, stared back from beneath shaggy black hair that hung just past his chin. He shook his head slowly and took another step towards her. Hiori felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She didn't know where she was, or even if she could trust him. The last time she had encountered anyone in her dreams, it had ended with her being stabbed.

"No. I'm not."

"Who are you?" she asked, continuing to stare into his eyes. "Where am I?"

"This?" he asked, gesturing around him. As she watched, she could see the deep brown stone that made the maze that surrounded them tremble. She had never been one for closed in spaces, and even though this cube shaped maze was enormous, the trembling was making her fear that the top would soon come crashing down on both of them. "This is your inner world, Hiori." Her breath caught in her throat, and for some reason him saying her name sent goosebumps over her skin. It was so familiar. "Granted, right now it's a bit unstable."

"_This_ is my inner world?" Hiori murmured, narrowing her eyes and glancing around. It was empty, barren, plain. Everything looked the same. All the same brown rock, which made up the never ending walls of the maze. Besides the maze, there was nothing else. She wondered if everyone had these so called inner worlds, and if they did, were they as ugly and unstable as hers was?

"It used to be much better than this." he replied, taking another step towards her.

"Used to be?" she asked, but the boy merely shrugged. As he neared her, she realized that he was a considerable amount taller than she was, which was saying something. He must have been at least six foot five. His dark brown skin looked dull in the lighting of her so-called 'inner world'. He didn't elaborate on his previous statement, and instead simply continued to close in on her. "Who are you?" The boy smirked down at her, his body now directly in front of her.

"You should already know."

"Well... I don't, so..." His smirk faltered, and she thought she saw something like sadness cross over them.

"My name is..." The boy's lips continued to move, but a strange, high-pitched buzzing sound rang through Hiori's ears, and she could no longer hear his voice. He stared at her, bending down slightly so that they were on eye level. "You didn't hear that. Did you?" She shook her head slowly, and she shivered as he ran his fingertips through her wine red hair. "I didn't think so. Should we try again? My name is..."

"I still didn't hear it." she murmured, and the boy nodded. As he straightened up the cube-maze trembled again, causing Hiori to lose her balance. She noticed that he didn't even move when the maze did, and he seemed completely unphased as some small bits of rubble fell from above. The tiny holes were soon filled with a strange dark substance, which began to ooze in through the cracks. As Hiori watched, the part of the maze that had cracked suddenly repaired itself, shutting out the black fluid. She continued to stare up at the maze above her, and the boy followed her gaze briefly before moving it back down to her.

"If you can't hear it, then you should probably go."

"What? But-"

"Just go." he continued, not raising his voice, but Hiori could tell he was saying it in a way that indicated the same feelings. "You're no use if you still can't hear my name."

Hiori blinked rapidly, as if something were in her eyes. The early morning light streamed through her window, which she suddenly realised was open. Glancing beside her, she noticed that Yoruichi was nowhere to be seen. She sighed, pushing herself up and rubbing her temples tiredly. Her head hurt, and every move that she made only caused it to throb even more. The dream that she had just experianced was unsettling to put it lightly, and she couldn't shake the genuine disappointment in the boy's voice and face. Why was it so important that she knew his name without him telling her? How was she supposed to already know it? A knock from her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Oi, Hiori, we're goona be late!" Tatsuki called, and Hiori jolted as if she had just been electrically shocked. She had completely forgotten about school. The red head jumped up, scrambling around her room in a speedy last-minute attempt to look decent for school. Finally managing to put on her socks, she ran a comb through her deep red locks, and she had to fight to keep her mind from wandering back to the boy inside her 'inner world'. "Hiori, I'm not kidding! Hurry up!"

"Fuck off, I'm coming!" Hiori called back, grabbing her school bag and yanking her door open. "Geez, it's too early to be yelling like that." she mummbled, earning herself a scolding look from her foster sister. They made their way into the kitchen, grabbing some toast before pulling on their shoes and leaving. The walk to school was peaceful, but no sooner had they stepped over the threshold to the classroom was that peaceful feeling abruptly shattered.

"BOHAHAHA!" Tatsuki and Hiori exchanged looks. Inoue Orihime stood in front of Kurosaki Ichigo, her arms crossed over her chest in a strange fashion, a large goofy grin plastered on her face. Hiori rolled her eyes dramatically, earning her a prod in the ribs from Tatsuki. Hiori often wondered why Tatsuki was even friends with such a complete airhead- Besides being kind, she had never noticed any significant redeeming quatilities about the walnut haired girl.

"Huh?" Ichigo asked, scowling down at the large breasted teen. She frowned, clearly disappointed by his response.

"Weak reaction, Kurosaki-kun." she whined, bringing her hands down. Tatsuki and Hiori walked closer, and Hiori appeared by Ichigo's side, casting Orihime a look of annoyance. "Could it be that you don't know about this?" Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before answering. It was obvious that this was a subject he would rather avoid talking about.

"Ah... 'Ghost Bust', right?" he muttered, pointing at Orihime. She beamed, clapping her hands together.

"Bingo!" she chimed, and the next minute she raised her hands above her head in triumph. "Now, let's do it togeth-" Tatsuki grabbed her arms, yelling 'Bonzai!' before dragging her off in the other direction. "Tatsuki-chan, what? What!" she whined, and Hiori crossed her arms, glaring after the girl in frustration. She was way too loud.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bohaha is coming with me." she said, leaving the two bright-haired teens standing alone in the middle of the classroom.

"So, you a fan of that show, too?" Ichigo asked, motioning for the red head to follow as they made their way over to their desks.

"It's total bullshit." she replied sourly, setting her bag on top of her desk before sitting down. "It still confuses me as to why people keep going around saying that dumb catch phrase." she continued, shooting a glare in Orihime's direction. Ichigo nodded, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if he suddenly had a horrible headache.

"Yeah, my family's crazy about it." he said, propping his chin up on his fist. "But all that psychic shit- I hate it."

"Couldn't agree more." Hiori replied as Rukia made her entrance. "All it does is make money on people's ignorance and stupidity."

Brought together for the day by a mutual hatred for the 'Bohaha Man', also known as Don Kanonji, Hiori and Ichigo spent most of the day side by side, each sporting a rather unfriendly looking scowl. By the end of the day, Hiori had lost count of how many people had been crossing their arms over their chests and yelling the Ghost Bust catch phrase. She had been horrified to learn that all the hype over it in school was in celebration of the show making an appearance in Karakura Town. Even Chad seemed excited about it, although he didn't speak very much on the subject. The only way Hiori knew that he was even remotely interested in the show at all was from a brief encounter with him during lunch break, where he had walked up to where she and Ichigo were standing, stopped, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. It was the tell-tale sign of an avid 'Ghost Bust' fan.

Little happened to improve the situation over the course of the day. In fact, in Hiori's eyes at least, it took a nasty turn for the worse, as Keigo had invited her to attend the live filming of Ghost Bust at an abandoned local hospital. Despite wanting to refuse, Tatsuki had insisted that she go, saying that she was also going, as well as Rukia. She failed to mention that Orihime would also be attending, feeling that it'd be a better way to persuade Hiori to come, and just tell her about that after she agreed.

So the following Wednesday at seven thirty, the small group of teenagers met in the middle of the street, which lead to the abandoned hospital. Mizuiro, Keigo and Orihime all seemed to be in relatively good spirits. Tatsuki was her normal impartial self, and as usual Hiori hadn't the slightest clue as to what was going through Chad's mind. Rukia was smiling, but Hiori had a small suspicion that she really had no idea why they were all here. Across from the group stood Ichigo, who was slouching heavily and glaring with all his might at Mizuiro and Keigo.

"You came!" they cried, pointing at him, which only served to deepen his scowl.

"Shut up! Be quiet! I'll kill you!" he bellowed, and Hiori barely suppressed a snicker. He was so easy to rile up. She felt Orihime shift next to her, and she turned her direction just as she took several tentative steps in Ichigo's direction.

"...Kurosaki-kun... I'm sorry for earlier."

"For what?" he replied, turning away quickly.

"I heard from Tatsuki that you hate this sort of show, so..." Hiori rolled her eyes, earning her a glare from Tatsuki. It was common knowledge that Orihime liked Ichigo, but Hiori often wondered when the girl would just give it up. It didn't seem that he was very interested. A small voice in the back of her mind told her that he wasn't interested in her, either, but she quickly shoved the thoughts away. She barely listened as she and Tatsuki caught up to them, Tatsuki choosing to walk beside Orihime, who was currently engaged in praising Ichigo for his kindness. She seemed to be making him feel a little uncomfortable.

Several minutes later, both Ichigo and Hiori found themselves serparated from their group, and were now lost in the crowd. Hiori frowned as Ichigo scowled down at a magazine that he was reading. In all honesty, Hiori was glad to be separated from the rest- Most of them had been yelling 'Bohaha' non stop. And for her, not having Orihime around was always a plus.

"What's wrong, you two, you seem down!" said a voice, and both Ichigo and Hiori snapped their heads in the direction from which it had come. Rukia stood several feet behind them, the people around her towering over her where she stood. Hiori made a face. If she was freakishly tall, surely this girl was freakishly short. Without warning, the dark haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, smiling evilly. "Bohaha!" Ichigo gagged, and Hiori mummbled something incoherant that sounded like 'Bitch'. Out of all people, she hadn't expected for Rukia to turn into one of those obsessed fans. "Hey, hey, what's with the long faces?"

"Clearly, it's that 'Bohaha' thing!" Hiori retorted, and Ichigo turned away from the two girls.

"Don't you ever shut up?" he asked Rukia, who gave him an angry glare.

"We went through all the trouble of coming here- Have some fun, gosh." she scolded before nudging Hiori in the ribs. "You, too. Lighten up," Hiori rolled her eyes. "I mean, Ichigo, you've been balancing Shinigami work and school- Spread your wings!" Ichigo stayed silent, casting Rukia a confused look before shifting back through his magazine. "Anyways, what's this festival all about?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Hiori and Ichigo yelled at the same time. Hiori felt her cheeks heat up slightly, but she fought it back.

"You came here without even a clue?" Ichigo asked, scowling down at the petite girl. Hiori and Ichigo soon launched into a full-blown explaination of the reason for this "festival", which didn't take long for Rukia to understand. After hearing their brief overview of Don Kanonji and Ghost Bust, Rukia seemed to grasp the idea.

"So, it's a 'Tee Vee' show." she muttered, sounding as though she were deep in thought. "I understand- So it's a festival of that!" she exclaimed, and Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances. She really didn't get it in the slightest.

"But, still. Is there really a spirit in this hospital?" Ichigo asked, glancing up at the old building. Rukia said explained that it was possible, since Soul Society scanners could rarely pick up earth bound spirits. As she continued speaking, a camera man brushed by the trio, causing Ichigo to sandwich Hiori in between himself and Rukia for a few seconds. Rukia gave her a knowing smirk, which only served to heat Hiori's face even further.

"The only circumstance when an earth bound spirit would show itself, is-" Rukia was cut off by an echoing wail, and Hiori covered her ears. "Is if a human tresspasses on their territory." she finished, eyeing the building in front of them with new-found caution. Hiori grimmaced. She really hadn't expected for this bullshit psychic show tohave anything to do with actual spirits- Perhaps Ichigo wouldn't get to 'stretch his wings', as Rukia had so poetically put it, after all.

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><p><strong>In this chapter, Hiori sees her Inner World for the first time, as well as her supposed Zanpakuto Spirit. She doesn't know who the woman is at this point, or what that black stuff was either. But this chapter marks the beginning of the awakening of her real powers. Thanks for the reviews- They're always appreciated!<strong>


	9. Part 1: What the Hell is Shunpo?

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><p>"Look, the azure sky that crushes us, licks up our spines."<p>

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><p>"I can't frickin' believe this!"<p>

Hiori huffed audibly, earning herself a glare from the enraged teacher. Truth be told, she was surprised that they all hadn't been suspended the minute they had all entered the school building. After all, they had caused quite a bit of a disturbance at the live Ghost Bust filming. Currently, they were all staring at a freeze-frame of Ichigo's panic-stricked face. All in all, Hiori figured that things could have gone much worse, even if Ichigo, Rukia and herself had all ended up having to be restrained by the police.

"This was aired _nation wide._" Ichigo continued to stand, completely unphased, with his hands in his pockets as the teacher bared down on him. "So, Kurosaki. What do have to say for yourself when you look at this?"

"The likeness is uncanny," Hiori muttered, staring thoughtfully at the screen. At this, the teacher finally seemed to loose it completely, and Hiori saw a noticeble tick form on his temple.

"Every inch of this is Kurosaki, you moron!" Kagine roared, prodding Hiori roughly in the chest. Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances, not entirely sure if man-handling of students was perfectly legal.

"It's my twin brother, we were seperated at birth," he dead panned, and the teacher took him roughly by the collar. "Indeed, I never that we'd be united in this way." Kagine roared, and he pointed at the screen before chewing Ichigo out about bringing shame to the school. Hiori couldn't resist rolling her eyes as both Tatsuki and Orihime reasoned with the enraged teacher, somehow convincing him that their being there was some sort of delusion, who reluctantly agreed to let them go. Tatsuki sent a teasing smirk in Hiori's direction as she left, earning a harsh flip of the finger from a flustered Hiori. Luckily for the rest of them, Rukia was good at playing the pitiful high school girl, turning on the water works just long enough for them to clamber frantically out of the window before making a run for it.

"Hey there, kiddo," Yoruichi said brightly as Hiori entered her room, pressing her back against the door to shut it behind her. The purple haired woman was sitting just outside of her windows, a playful smirk stretching her face. "Whatcha' been up to?" Hiori shrugged, dumping her bag on her desk and leaning out of her window, the warm afternoon breeze ruffling her hair.

"Got out of possible suspension,"

"Huh. How?"

"Climbed out a window." she explained before clambering out onto the roof beside her dark skinned companion. The other woman nodded in apparent approval before standing up gracefully, putting a hand on her hip.

"So, are we just gonna keep up with this useless chit-chat, or are you ready to get training?" Hiori frowned up at the woman, narrowing her dull gray eyes at her.

"Hey, you were 'chit-chatting' too!" she accused, straightening up to tower over the older woman. Despite their astounding height differences, Yoruichi seemed unphased, and before Hiori could blink she was gone. Her breath caught in her throat, and she whipped her head around, desperately searching for the other girl with her eyes.

"Over here, Hiori." said a voice. Hiori's eyes met with the slightly arrogant looking golden ones, which were now staring at her from the short wall across the street. "Don't tell me that you weren't even able to follow my movements?" Hiori glowered over at her from her place on the roof- They hadn't even been training for two minutes, and already she was being taunted. Cocky people had never been her thing, but Hiori was certain that had she been in Yoruichi's position, she would have been laughing it up at the person in her own place. "Today's assignment is to get from point A to point B," she explained. "Without touching the ground, Hiori." she sighed as Hiori made to jump off of the roof.

"Well, then, what the hell am I supposed to do?" she asked, crossing her arms in a frustrated manner and glaring over at the purple haired woman. The look of superiority that was already blazing brightly inside of Yoruichi's golden eyes only increased, which only served to upset Hiori further. Mentally going through all she had learned in their previous lessons, Hiori was slightly put out once she realized that none of the Kido she had learned were able to transport her across open spaces in the blink of an eye. "At least tell me what Kido spell it is!"

"It's not Kido, Hiori. That was 'Hohou'," Yoruichi replied, deftly tucking her legs under her body and seating herself precariously on the wall. "It's basically Shinigami footwork, and that's what you're going to accomplish today." Hiori stayed silent, and after a minute or so she arched an eyebrow expectantly. Up until now, Yoruichi had always explained things thoroughly.

"Okay... What the hell is 'Hohou'?" Hiori asked curiously, crouching down on the roof and resting her chin on her arms. A goading smirk stretched over Yoruichi's face, and Hiori felt her scowl deepen. She really was savoring her immense confusion.

"Basically, Hohou is Shinigami footwork," she explained simply. Hiori paused for a minute or so, waiting for any sort of elaboration, but none came. She didn't seem to be at all inclined to do her any favors when it came to working out the exectution of the technique called 'Hohou'. "What I'm asking you to master today is called Shunpo."

"How do you do it?" A sinister sneer made its way onto Yoruichi's face, and Hiori was starting to feel that this lesson was going to be much more difficult than she had originally anticipated.

"Somewhere in that severely unstable mind of yours, you already know." she said softly, earning a confused look from Hiori. She was sure she didn't know it- She hadn't even known Kido before now, so how would she know how to do Hohou? And she certainly didn't know what would have made Yoruichi think that she already knew it, unless she was withholding some extremely valuable information.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hiori snapped, her patience rapidly fading. "How am I supposed to do this if you won't even explain it?"

"Why don't you ask that boy?" Hiori's eyes widened. How had Yoruichi known about her dream that night? She couldn't remember ever having mentioned it to her, and the only obvious conclusion that she could come up with was- "Yeah, you talk in your sleep, kiddo." Hiori frowned. Apparently, Yoruichi had been well aware where her thoughts had been headed. "So, why don't you just ask him? He knows." Hiori her lip in a guilty sort of way. "He wasn't too happy when he learned that you didn't know his name. Was he?" Hiori shook her head quickly, tugging roughly on her deep red locks.

"Who is he?" she murmured, and Yoruichi closed her eyes tiredly.

"You'll figure it out." she replied, straightening up and placing her hands on her hips. "Now, let's learn some Shunpo."

Despite this initial enthusiasm, after forty five minutes of Hiori attempting to execute Shunpo, the mood had most certainly become somewhat sour. In the course of a little less than an hour, Hiori and Yoruichi had gotten into several long screaming matches, Hiori had nearly fallen off of the roof three times, managing to twist her wrist in a very uncomfortable position in the process; To top it all off, Hiori had accidentally ended of flashing an innocent passerby as a sudden gust of wind lifted up her skirt as she stood on the roof. In the end, Hiori had stormed back into her room through her window, yelling something about studying for her finals before slamming it shut and leaving Yoruichi alone and seriously pissed off.

When the dark skinned woman finally did make it inside, she made it her business to cause as much trouble for Hiori as possible. Although neither girls were usually immature, the tedious hour of training beforehand had seriously soured their mood, and thus their maturity levels had degraded along with them. Over the course of the rest of the evening, Yoruichi had stolen Hiori's dinner and eaten it herself, barged in on Hiori while she was bathing, and she had kicked Hiori out of her own bed, forcing her to sleep on the floor. She did, however, give her some peace and quiet as she studied on top of a pile of sheets on the floor, which were acting as her temporary bed. All in all, Hiori was just glad that Tatsuki wasn't home.

The next morning Hiori was awakened by an uncomfortable pressure above her. Blinking rapidly, she had to work to suppress an audible yelp- She was nose to nose with Yoruichi, who had apparently thought that the best way to wake her up was to lay on top of her.

"Yoruichi!" Hiori screamed, sitting up and pushing the tan woman off of her roughly. "What the hell!"

"You better hurry up- You have an exam today, don't you?" Yoruichi said, casually sitting back on Hiori's bed as though nothing had happened. "By they way, that's one weird lookin' tattoo you've got." No sooner had the words escaped her mouth did Hiori's face turn a startling shade of beet red. She seemed at a loss for words for several minutes, her wide eyes staring up at the purple haired woman in shocked silence.

"Y-you... You looked?" she squeaked, the look of embarrassment increasing ten fold as Yoruichi nodded resolutely. "Th-that tattoo is under my shirt! You took off my shirt? You creep!" she said, wrapping her arms protectively around her body in the process. Yoruichi chuckled, clearly not understanding Hiori's anger over her personal privacy being invaded.

"Yeah, well, I was curious." Yoruichi said nonchalantly, earning herself a heated glare from the red haired teenager on the floor. "What is it, anyways?" Something in her voice made Hiori feel as though she wasn't actually curious, or possibly that she actually had some sort of idea what it was- Which was saying something, considering that Hiori herself had no idea what the tattoo was. As a matter of fact, as Hiori quickly explained after much blushing and stuttering, she actually hadn't the slightest recolection of getting the tattoo. When questioned as to how she could even forget something like that, Hiori explained that when it came to her days before being put into foster care, her memory was very foggy. Although that would mean that she must have been very young when she first got the tattoo, it was the only logical explanation that the girl could come up with. "Well it certainly is unique- And rather large, has anyone else ever seen it?"

"Not since I can remember, although I'm sure the people at the hospital got more than an eyeful of it." she replied. The tattoo, as Yoruichi had observed, was rather large. It stretched all the way from her ribcage underneath her left shoulder blade, wrapping around to the front of her body and ending just above her ribcage on her right side, not entirely wrapping around to her back. It somewhat resembled a flower, though the petals held something of a geometric shape to them, and ended in sharp, angular points. The two 'petals' on either end of the tattoo were the longest, and instead of ending in points they ended in open-ended circles. The entire tattoo was filled in with pitch black ink, and stood out startlingly against Hiori's only slightly tanned skin.

"Seriously, you better hurry up. You've got school," Yoruichi instructed, tossing Hiori's school uniform down to her as she spoke. Hiori could sense that Yoruichi was still severely disappointed about her performance during training the previous day, even if she was holding herself back. She didn't need to say anything- Even as a cat, she had often been able to tell what she was feeling just by looking at her eyes.

"Yoruichi..." Hiori murmured, picking up her school bag before exiting the room. Yoruichi made a noise in the back of her throat, prompting her to continue. She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly as she did so. "When I get back... Shunpo... I'll do it."

"Hm? What's that?" Hiori peered over her shoulders, meeting Yoruichi's stern gold irises briefly before repeating herself.

"I'll master Shunpo, like you want me to." The purple haired woman shook her head slowly, standing up and walking up behind Hiori, who seemed to shrink down as she neared despite their ample height differences.

"If you're doing this just because I want it, you'll get nowhere," she muttered, reaching up and patting the top of Hiori's head lovingly. "You've gotta do it because _you_ want it. Not because I told you to." Hiori froze, and for several long minutes she was locked in a sort of staring match with the woman standing in front of her. She did want to get stronger. She knew that she had to get stronger- How else could she help Ichigo if she couldn't even hold her own against a Hollow? Hiori thought back to how she had felt after the graveyard incedent- She had felt so useless, so small, so insignificant. She had been certain that Ichigo would always look down on her after that, and that was certainly the last thing that she wanted.

"I want to learn it, Yoruichi." she whispered finally. And with that she turned swiftly on her heel and made her way out of the house, heading for the high school for final exams. Tatsuki was already in the classroom by the time Hiori arrived, and was evidently surprised that she had actually shown up- She knew Hiori to be a slacker, and had been certain that she would skip out on taking her finals.

Final exams seemed to drag for forever, and it wasn't long before Hiori felt as though she was about to lose her mind. She had to fight to keep her mind on track, and was constantly catching herself either staring rather obviously at Ichigo, or tapping her pencil on the top of her desk much too loudly. This earned her several glares from various students throughout the class, and she was fairly certain that Inoue Orihime had caught her staring at Ichigo at one point. Knowing Orihime, she wasn't going to keep something like that under wraps, and would most likely question her about it next chance she got. Lucky her.

"It's over!" Keigo called, throwing his mechanical pencil in the air. Although Hiori shared his feeling of relief for having finally finished the exams, she couldn't help but give him a look of disdain for his sudden outburst. She felt Ichigo appear by her side, and she felt her heart rate increase suddenly, and she had to take several calming breaths in order to steady herself. She hadn't realized what sort of affect Ichigo's mere presence was starting to have on her. "And I'm dead..." Keigo crashed his head onto his desk as Mizuiro came around and picked up the tests, and he gave the brown haired boy a sympathetic look.

"Looks like crap." he affirmed, glancing over Keigo's test briefly. "But I'm no better."

"Quit worrying, final exams don't hold a lot of meaning in one's life." Ichigo grumbled, which Hiori could only guess was his attempt to console his friend.

"Well said! That's my Ichigo!" Keigo yelled, rushing towards the much taller boy and attempting to give him an enormous hug. "Let's share the pain of being enormous morons!" Hiori stopped him from coming any closer to either of them by placing the palm of her hand roughly in his face, shoving him backwards before he had time to react.

"And thank you for that." Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly and giving Hiori a nod of appreciation for fending off the complete moron, who also happened to be his friend.

"Well, it's better to wait until the results come in before you go saying stuff like that, Ichigo." Mizuiro said, and Keigo gave him a confused look in response.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Here- This is Ichigo's mid-term standings." Mizuiro said, holding up a single sheet of white paper. Keigo grabbed it eagerly, running his eyes over it before laughing.

"Are you stupid? These are only the highest people in our grade- No way would Ichigo... be..." he trailed off, his eyes widening the farther down the list that he got. Hiori peered over at the orange haired boy next to her, who shrugged indifferently just as Keigo let out an outraged squeal. "Y-you... You're eighteenth! Out of three hundred and twenty two freshman, you're eighteenth!" he yelled, a look of betrayal marring his face.

"Damn, you're loud..." Ichigo muttered, leaning back on his desk while Hiori plugged her ears in an attempt to quell the rapidly forming headache, which she could only assume was being caused by all of the yelling from Keigo.

"How did you get such high marks!" Keigo screamed, pointing at Ichigo accusingly and waving the paper in his face.

"I don't do clubs, so I study at home." he replied as Keigo attempted to crack several jokes about nerds before Ichigo punched him straight in the face.

"It helps to get good marks when you've got hair like this, I suppose." Hiori remarked, reaching up and taking a lock of Ichigo's vivid orange hair between her fingers. "How troublesome."

"Oh, you're one to talk?" Ichigo retorted, gently yanking on a long strand of her carmine***** hair. "I'm surprised no one's gotten onto you about changing the color of your hair yet."

"I'm such a well behaved student, I don't need to worry about that." Hiori replied, taking on a fake air of superiority.

"Give me a break." Ichigo mummbled, tugging on her hair once again before letting it fall from his fingers. Hiori was desperately holding back a light pink tint in her cheeks, which was gradually becoming harder as the feeling of Ichigo's fingers in her hair lingered. She laughed softly, running her fingers quickly through her hair in a desperate attempt to get rid of the tingling sensation, but it did very little to help her situation.

"Anyways, no matter how many times I say it's my natural color, upper-classman still pick fights with me." he explained, cracking his fingers loudly as he stretched. "And teachers always have their eyes on me- Basically, I'm in a no-good situation. I'm short tempered, so if someone picks a fight with me I can't help but fight back. When instructors falsely accuse me I rebel, which only gives them another reason to say that I've got a bad attitude." he continued, and Hiori decided to get more comfortable, hopping up on the desk that stood beside Ichigo. "I'm weary of that stuff, so I raised my grades. The faculty doesn't come after me as long as I've got good grades, so that's why I study."

"That seems like a lot of problems, even for you." Mizuiro observed, glancing up at the Ichigo and Hiori from where he sat. Hiori shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"When you grow up with it, you just get used to it." she replied, still trying to shake the feeling lingering in her hair. It was absolutely refusing to go away. "It's easier to just work hard at school and keep the faculty off of your back." Ichigo made a scathing noise in the back of his throat.

"_You_?" he asked incredulously, and both Keigo and Mizuiro exchanged glances. Ever since the appearance of Kuchiki Rukia, Ichigo had suddenly become much more open with new commers- Hitsugaya Hiori in particular. "You work hard in school? Right..." Hiori gave him a knowing smirk, flicking him playfully on the forehead before hopping off of the desk.

"Don't doubt me, Ichigo." she warned as she stuffed her text books back inside of her school bag.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll believe it when I see it." he muttered, tossing his school bag over his shoulder and shoving his free hand in his pocket.

"By the way, have you seen Kuchiki-san today, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked innocently. Ichigo shrugged.

"Why're you asking me?"

"Well, you two are always together." he muttered, and Hiori discreetly sent an icy glare in his direction.

"How should I know!" he growled, glaring down at Mizuiro before continuing. "Ever since that stupid TV situation, people have been giving me really creepy glances. I've been trying to stay away from her." he admitted, running a hand through his hair, a tired look crossing over his face. "Before I knew it, rumors excalated about whether we did it or not!" Hiori's face instantly turned a light shade of pink, which luckily went unnoticed by any of the three boys, as Mizuiro and Keigo were both attempting to cover up the fact that it was, in fact, Mizuiro who had started that particular rumor. "This really is ridiculous!" Hiori parted her lips to say something on the matter, but before she could get so much as a single syllable out Ichigo was suddenly dragged off down the hall by Rukia, who was apparently more than oblivious to the many rumors flying around the school about them, most of them involving sex.

"Ah... See ya'?" Hiori muttered, staring after the two until they rounded the corner. Really, she didn't know what she had been expecting. She and Ichigo hadn't really ever held a proper conversation, aside from the one that they had had for a grand total of three minutes at the cemetery. As she turned to leave, she felt a gentle nudge in her side, to which she turned back around to see Mizuiro staring up at her curiously.

"_You_ wouldn't happen to know what's going on there, would you, Hitsugaya-san?" he asked innocently, and before she knew it Keigo had run up right behind Mizuiro and was now staring up at her intently. Yet another pink tint made its way onto Hiori's face, and she mentally smacked herself for not having better control over her body and her emotions.

"I... Well, not that I know of..."

"Are you sure? Because they're always together..." Mizuiro pondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his pointer finger. "He's with you an awful lot, too, Hiori."

"Uh-huh, is that so?" she muttered, backing away from the suspicious boys slowly. "Well, I don't think he's with us any more than he's with you." she countered.

"We're guys, it's a completely different story!" Keigo replied, and Hiori had to back up quickly as she suddenly found him to be dangerously close to her face. "Tell us what you know, Hitsugaya!" he commanded, and with that she whipped herself around, taking off down the hall in the same direction in which Rukia and Ichigo had just disappeared.

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><p><strong>*Carmine- A general term for a deep red color.<strong>

**So this chapter was such a pain- I got almost finished with it, and I was really pleased with how it turned out, and then stupid FF went crazy and I couldn't save it, update, or log in. So that was pretty lame.**

**In this chapter I've tried to round out Hiori's character a little bit more. She's lazy and short tempered, and doesn't have much patience with things. However, like Ichigo, she does invest lots of time in studying to keep faculty off of her back due to her hair color. She had also been introduced to Shunpo, although Yoruichi won't explain it to her, as she's attempting to coax memories out of her subconscious. Thanks for the all the reviews, they are always appreciated!**


	10. Part 1: The Truth Behind Reiraku

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><p>"Unless I grip the sword, I cannot protect you. While gripping the sword, I cannot embrace you."<p>

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><p>"Hey there, kiddo." A familiar voice greeted Hiori upon her entrance to her room. The rapidly dimming evening sunlight was filtering through her windows, and she wondered to herself just why Yoruichi always deemed it necessary to be naked whilst in her room. The purple haired woman was sitting straight up in her bed, legs crossed, her usual smirk plastered on her face. "So. Are we gonna do Shunpo, or what?"<p>

"Only if you put on some clothes first." Hiori retorted, tossing the woman some shorts and a t shirt. She reminded herself that Yoruichi never wore underwear while wearing her clothes, which she found to be a little bit gross- Although lending the woman underwear would have been considerably more gross. Once Yoruichi had successfully clothed her body she led Hiori out onto the roof, once again taking her place across the street on top of the wall. The two continued to stare each other down for the next couple of minutes, and Hiori was beginning to suspect that, like the last time, the dark skinned woman opposite her still had no intention of explaining.

"Shunpo," she began suddenly, which caused Hiori to jump slightly. She hadn't thought Yoruichi to be at all inclined to speak first. "It's a movement technique which allows the user to move faster than the naked eye can follow." Hiori nodded, showing that she had understood this brief and mostly uninformative explanation.

"How do you accomplish it, exactly?" Hiori asked finally, hoping that Yoruichi would take the bait and just spill it. Unfortunately for her, Yoruichi's plan in no way involved her divulging any information of the sort to the girl, an action which Hiori found to be quite bothersome. After repeated attempts to focus whatever energy she had on her feet, nothing seemed to be working. Yoruichi had suggested several times that Hiori consult "that sassy little boy" inside of her head, to which she repeatedly replied that she had only ever spoken to him in dreams. After a moment's thought, she inquired as to how Yoruichi knew that the boy was "sassy", however, the yellow eyed woman supplied no answer. Hiori's already short patience withered and died fairly quickly, much to Yoruichi's disappointment.

"It's dark." Hiori said, turning away from the scowling woman, who was now standing on the roof in front of her. "I'm tired, I'm hungry, and Tatsuki'll be home any minute." she explained whilst sliding her body back through her open window. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi, but I honestly don't know how you expect me to accomplish anything unless you explain _something_ about this 'Shunpo'," Yoruichi let out a long sigh before following her back into her room, burying herself deep within the covers of the bed. Hiori was sure that she heard her mutter something that sounded like 'You've done well repressing it', but when asked to repeat herself Yoruichi simply pretended to be asleep. "Stupid bitch." Hiori murmured, swiping her towel off of the floor and heading towards the bathroom.

"Heard that." Yoruichi snapped, earning herself a dramatic roll of the eyes from Hiori, which of course she couldn't see. Once inside the bathroom, Hiori quickly set to work on running a bath. She could feel the energy draining rapidly from her, all hopes of mastering either Kido or Shunpo fading as quickly as they had come. She felt the hot water wash over her bare skin, and instead of comforting her as she had hoped it would, it only succeeded in making her feel like a failure. She had been so set on mastering these techniques, and now here she was- In a bath full of hot water after having practiced for about an hour, and there was nothing to show for it except for this feeling of helplessness.

Hiori desperately wanted to blame her failure on Yoruichi, and although she was certain the smug woman could no doubt harness most of the blame, she could not have all of it shoved onto her. True, she had refused to explain how to master the technique- Information which could have proved helpful over the course of her training. But Hiori's foggy memory was also to blame, as well as her impatience to learn and her unwillingness to accept Yoruichi's words or to take her advice. 'You already know it', she had said. 'Just ask the boy in your inner world', she had suggested. Had Hiori done any of that? Had she even thought about trying it? She could honestly say that she really hadn't.

"_And why wouldn't you consider it?_" Hiori's eyes snapped open, and instead of being met by the white tile walls of the Arisawa's bathroom, she was met with the crumbling brown rock of her inner world. A woman stood before her- A strange but beautiful woman. Her eyes were an odd shade of blue, almost neon, and her skin was a deep gray color. Her hair was black as pitch, as were her lips and her fingernails- It was as though all the normal colors she might have been had been turned negative.

"Who're you?" Hiori blurted, stunned by the sudden appearance of the woman. Where was the boy? She wasn't too keen to be left alone with this woman- After all, she was certain that this was the woman who had stabbed her upon her very first trip into her inner world. "Where is.. Um... That boy?" she finished lamely, and she felt the back of her neck heat up uncomfortably. She felt embarrassed, not knowing the name of a person who resided within her very subconscious.

"_Why?_" the woman asked, taking a step closer. The feeling of nervousness within Hiroi's stomach only increased with her closeness- Something was telling her to run, but she didn't know where to. Something else was telling her to stay- This woman was powerful, that much was true, and she was sure that if she asked she would tell her what Shunpo was. She would tell her everything. But yet another part of her told her that this was the wrong way to gain such information. "_You don't actually trust him... Do you?_"

"What?" Hiori replied, and she suddenly realized that everything within the cubic maze was suspended- As if there were no gravity. The rocks and sand were floating through the open air, and her sangria colored locks lay suspended around her face. She cast the woman a suspicious glance, not quite understanding this sudden change to her inner world. She was more than positive that the anti-gravity affect hadn't been there when she had been visiting the boy. "Why shouldn't I trust him? He's in my mind, isn't he? He's me... Right?" The woman gave a cold, barking laugh.

"_He's not exactly you, Hiori._" she explained, taking several steps closer. Hiori noticed that she was the only thing that remained unaffected by the temporary lack of gravity, and this only caused her to doubt the woman more. "_You don't actually think you can trust him, do you? I'm your Zanpakuto, after all. Not him._"

"Why the hell would I have a Zanpakuto?" Hiori mumbled, waving her arms in the air in an attempt to back away from the woman. She felt like prey being watched by a hungry carnivore, and the uncomfortable feeling in her chest was only increasing. "I'm not like Ichigo. Or Rukia. I'm not a Shinigami," Her inner world gave a tremendous shake, and a great chunk of the maze on top came crumbling down. The ominous, gooey sort of dripping sound filled the empty space, and she looked up to see that same dark ooze she had seen the last time.

"Hiori!" Gray eyes fluttered open, and the warm feeling of the water filled her once again. A second knock came from the closed bathroom door. "Hey, dinner, Hiori!" Tatsuki called, finally opening the door and peering inside. Hiori sank down a little farther into the water, covering her chest with her arms.

"Get out, Tatsuki!" she scolded, earning herself an unamused glare from the dark haired girl.

"I've been calling you for forever, it's not my fault if you're naked when I find you." she sighed, waving casually over her shoulder as she left. "Just get dressed and come get some dinner." Hiori dug her fingers painfully into her eyes, desperately trying to remove the seemingly permanent afterimage of the woman's neon blue eyes that seemed to be stained in her memory. She didn't like her. She hated that something like that was inside of her head, and she felt worry creep over her skin. What had that woman done to the boy? And where had he gone?

After a quiet and slightly awkward dinner with Tatsuki, Hiori slowly dragged herself back up to her room. Yoruichi was once again in cat form, the dark mass of fur on her bed slowly rising and falling as she breathed in and out. Hiori sank deep into her bed, drawing the covers up under her chin. Even after an hour or so since her visit to her inner world, she was still repressing shivers. The eyes of the woman seemed to be burned into her sockets, imprinted in her mind, stained on her memory. She didn't like her- If she was trying to get Hiori to trust her over the boy, she certainly was taking the wrong approach. The woman seemed like a demon.

And on top of that, she was trying to convince her that she herself had a Zanpakuto. Out of all the uncertainty in her life, of one thing she was more than absolutely certain- She wasn't a Shinigami. Never before had she shown signs of any sort of spiritual power (aside from after she had met Ichigo). An moreover, now that she was showing signs of any sort of talent in the ways of spiritual power, she most certainly wasn't good at it. This 'Shunpo' thing was doing her head in, not to mention that her Kido skills were definitely not up to par. And yet, with all of these obvious flaws in the woman's theory, she thought that she could turn her against her own subconscious and convince her that she was actually dead? That she was actually a Shinigami? Fat chance.

Morning had never been so unwelcome as it was the following day, the bright light of the early sun streaming in through the clear glass of the window. Hiori squeezed her eyes shut painfully tight, wanting more than anything to just stay in bed and not deal with anything. That fantasy was quickly destroyed as Yoruichi gently pawed her face, and when Hiori did not respond she resorted to digging her claws into her neck, earning a sudden yelp from the red haired girl below her.

After much yelling and scrambling around, Hiori had finally managed to get on her school uniform. As she brushed her hair, Hiori continued to argue with Yoruichi, who was still in cat form, under her breath. The first time Hiori had spoken with the woman while still in the form of a cat had surprised her, since the cat's voice sounded nothing at all like the beautiful dark-skinned woman's that she knew her to be. In fact, it was gravely and deep, the complete opposite of what you would expect to hear from a woman with Yoruichi's appearance. After a long and awkward pause between the two, Hiori decided that it would be best to leave, running down the stairs and catching Tatsuki just as she left for school.

* * *

><p>"Hoooh!" Tatsuki chimed, patting Orihime's head lovingly. "Third place- As usual, you did great!" Hiori rolled her eyes, crossing her arms firmly over her chest. The fact that Inoue Orihime had placed twenty one points above her only added to her already terrible mood- She wasn't even sure how an airhead like Orihime even managed to get good grades. To put it lightly, it had been a major off day for the moody red head. She hadn't been able to put words together properly all day, stumbling over a passage in her text book that she had been forced to read in front of the entire class and successfully turning her skin the exact same shade of red as her hair. She had also succeeded in running head-on into Ichigo, bashing heads with him before falling into a group of girls, and she'd also somehow managed to accidentally trip Kuchiki Rukia in a way that looked more than purposeful on her way to the bathroom. Today was one of those days that Hiori really just hated her life.<p>

"Amazing!" said one of Tatsuki's friends whilst staring, wide eyed, at the slip of white paper pinned on the board. "Orihime is _that_ smart!" Hiori sighed heavily. At least she knew that she wasn't the only one who was surprised.

"She doesn't look it, does she?" Tatsuki replied, casting Orihime a glance as she went into a daze, her mouth hanging open in a slack-jawed sort of way. Hiori nodded to herself- She really didn't. As the girls continued their name-dropping and arguments over grades, Hiori's attention turned to the group of boys slowly making their way over towards them. Ichigo was trailing along behind them, a sour expression on his face, as Keigo rushed up to the bulletin board.

"Hey," he muttered, finally making his way over to Hiori's side. "Doin' any better?" Hiori gave him an apologetic look, laughing nervously and running her fingertips through her hair, as she always did when she felt pressured.

"I really am sorry," she replied, glancing over at Ichigo and meeting his eyes. The affect the carrot-top seemed to have on her was becoming increasingly problematic for Hiori, especially since she was more than eighty nine percent certain that Ichigo felt absolutely nothing for her. There was a much greater chance that any affection the usually grouchy boy might contain in that carefully guarded heart of his was directed at Rukia instead of herself, and even if it wasn't Rukia, Hiori couldn't help but feel that she was seriously under par with the rest of her competition- Namely Inoue Orihime. Despite the fact that most people said Orihime just 'wasn't his type', Hiori couldn't help but wonder. Even if she acted stupid and hopelessly naive, she couldn't escape the truth: Orihime was devestatingly pretty, a trait which people often complimented. Hiori, on the other hand, had no such affirmation for herself.

"It's not a problem, things like that happen." he muttered, his tired eyes falling on Keigo and Mizuiro as they did a happy dance. Hiori arched an eyebrow incredulously.

"I don't think head-butts are a general day-to-day thing, Ichigo." she said, but before Ichigo could reply he was interrupted by an outburst from Keigo. Hiori wondered if the brown haired boy ever ceased speaking.

"Don't look, comrade Kojima!" he screamed, covering Mizuiro's eyes. Hiori could only guess that they had finally found Ichigo's score which, she was reluctant to admit, had beaten hers by one point. She had come in twenty fourth herself. "Ichigo, you dummy, we're not inviting you to play time anymore!" Keigo said, sticking out his tongue and smacking his butt. Hiori and Ichigo both gave him disgusted looks, watching as the boy publicly humiliated himself, apparently oblivious to the looks he was getting from many others.

"I hate to ask-"

"Don't do it..." Ichigo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Hiori ignored him.

"Ichigo, what is 'play time'?" she sneered, her gray eyes meeting his light brown ones. He grumbled something inaudible to himself, which she could only guess was supposed to be some form of a witty retort. "Whatever it is, it sounds really gay."

"Shut it." he mummbled, rubbing the back of his neck and stretching his arms. Hiori let out a soft laugh, nudging Ichigo playfully in the ribs. He retaliated by doing the same with his shoulder, a small smirk playing on his usually frowning lips as he glanced over at the red haired teenager next to him. This light hearted moment, however, was quickly shattered by a betrayed-looking Keigo and Mizuiro.

"You and Chad both, Ichigo!" he screeched, pointing at them in an accusatory manner. "And even you, Hitsugaya-san! Over acheivers! You _devils_! I never would have thought!" Tears welled in his eyes as he turned away, swearing to never again play with them. Honestly, Hiori didn't think they'd be missing much.

"Chad, what place did you get?" she asked brightly, leaning over Ichigo to stare up at the tall latino boy. He grumbled something, his voice to deep for her to understand. "Sorry?"

"Eleventh," he said again, turning his head to look over at her. "I... Got eleventh." Chad said this in his usually slow voice before turning his attentions back onto the panicking duo of Mizuiro and Keigo, who were still continuing to run away from the 'over achieving' trio. Chad mummbled something before slipping his hands in his pockets, lumbering off in the direction that Mizuiro and Keigo had just disappeared.

"You have interesting friends." Hiori observed, now turning all of her attention to Ichigo. He shrugged, leaning up against the window and breathing a heavy sigh. "What's with you?"

"I ran into this guy..." Hiori gave him a sinister smirk, her eyes looking almost playfully demonic.

"Can't stop thinking about him? Can't get him out of your head?"

"Well-" Ichigo glanced in her direction, seeing the devilish smile stretching over her face, and instantly he gave her his trademark scowl. "Stop being stupid."

"But, Ichigo." she replied seriously, although the playful grin on her face contradicted her tone of voice. "I think you may have found the one!" Ichigo made a 'tch' noise with his tongue, shoving her playfully on the shoulder. "You should go after him! Go find your one true love, Kurosaki-kun!" she squealed, mimicking Orihime's usual way of adressing the orange haired boy. "So, so, what's his name?" Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Not that I'm in any way encouraging... Whatever _this_ is," he began, gesturing to Hiori as he said 'this' and giving her a look of confusion. "It was like... Ishida something..."

"Ishida Willy?"

"Stupid, that's that failed entertainer."

"Ah, so it is..." Hiori said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Wally?"

"Nope." Ichigo replied, putting his hands on his hips. "What's with these names?" Hiori shrugged, opening her mouth to suggest the name 'Wilbur', in spirit of continuing her current trend of names beginning with 'W', but she was cut off by a curious Inoue Orihime.

"What about Ishida-kun?" she asked, peering around Ichigo and glancing up at him. Hiori made an unamused expression- Had she been listening in the entire time, just hiding behind Ichigo? That was just rude, and maybe even a little bit creepy.

"Inoue, you know Ishida?" Ichigo asked, apparently over looking the fact that Orihime had obviously been eavesdropping on their previous conversation. She nodded vigorously, apparently eager to share whatever information she may have with Ichigo.

"I know all about him- He's in our class, after all." she explained, pointing to the very top of the score sheet on the bulletin board. "Ishida Uryuu-kun, right? Here, look!" she chimed happily, and both Hiori and Ichigo followed her finger and looked at the very first name on the score sheet. As she had said, number one was indeed Ishida Uryuu. Hiori worked to hold in a surprised gasp- How smart was this guy, to get first place out of all the freshmen students? "See, he's in class three, remember?"

"No use, Orihime. This guy's useless when it comes to names and faces- Probably still doesn't know half the class." Tatsuki said, making an appearnace beside Orihime suddenly.

"Shut up." Ichigo snapped, giving her a dead pan look and shoving his hands in his pockets. Choosing to ignore Tatsuki's snide remarks, Ichigo continued to interogate Orihime about Ishida, and eventually was told that not only was he in his class, but he was in Orihime's Handicrafts club. Needless to say, both Ichigo and Hiori were more than shocked.

"H... Handicrafts, you say?" Hiori murmured, casting an uncertain glance in Ichigo's direction. "And this is really the guy you are bestowing your feelings upon, Ichigo?"

"I already told you, it's not like that!" he exclaimed, scowling over at her. Hiori could have sworn that in that moment his cheeks turned a very, very light pink. But it was gone the very next instant, so she guessed she'd never know. After several more minutes of questioning a more than eager Orihime, they followed her back to the classroom, where she pointed out the targeted person- Ishida Uryuu. He was tall, a little bit gangly, and had very dark hair. Hiori had to give him props for how serious he was about handicrafts- Judging from the intensity with which he had repaired a stuffed animal of a female classmate, it wasn't something that he just did for fun.

* * *

><p>"Ichigo..." Hiori murmured, glaring over at the slightly taller boy on her left. Her back was pressed against a concrete wall, her school bag clutched behind her back in her fists. Ichigo was leaning around the wall, checking to see if the coast was clear. "I get that you're in love, but stalking is too far."<p>

"Shut up, that's not it!" he hissed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along with him as he rounded the corner. With some effort, Hiori managed to ignore the burning sensation that ran over her skin where he touched her. "I just need to figure out who the hell-"

"How long do you plan on following me home... Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ishida Uryuu's voice broke through Ichigo's, causing the arguing pair to freeze in their steps. They'd been spotted. "And Hitsugaya Hiori? I expected better from you..." Ichigo glowered. All in all, Hiori wasn't too surprised. They hadn't been the stealthiest stalkers on the planet, not to mention they had stupidly raised their voices a moment ago. Apparently, Ichigo had over looked these facts and chose instead to ask how long he had known they were following him. "Since you were spying on me in the class with Inoue-san," he replied rather pompously, looking at Ichigo with disdain.

"Oh, good, good. That's really something." Ichigo said boredly, giving Ishida the slow clap. Hiori snickered, averting her eyes from the icy glare that the dark haired boy was now giving the two of them. He did not seem to take jokes very well.

"It's due to your foolish inability to restrain your spiritual power." he explained, which caused Ichigo to cease his sarcastic claps. "Even a monkey would know."

"Now, now. Let's not get snippy," Hiori scolded sarcastically, shaking a finger. It was Ichigo's turn to snicker, watching as a look of annoyance passed over the usually passive face of the boy standing in front of them.

"Even you, Hitsugaya-san." Ishida continued, which shut Hiori up instantly. Why was he bringing her into this? "The evidence that neither of you are good at either controlling your spiritual powers is that you haven't noticed me until today. Kurosaki, I've noticed your unusually high spiritual powers since the day you entered this school. And how, in mid-may, you acquired the powers of a Shinigami... And Kuchiki Rukia's true identity." The look he gave them was enough to send chills up Hiori's spine. "And as for you, Hitsugaya-san..." he began, and as he said this the ribbons that Hiori had only ever seen once before appeared around them. "I've only noticed any spiritual powers within you recently- However, this Reiraku tells a different story." he murmured, and before Hiori had time to react, a hand had reached behind her and grabbed something out of the air. A startlingly red ribbon, the color of dried blood, was now clutched within Ishida's fist.

"Surely, Kurosaki, you know what these are?" he asked, not releasing the ribbon in his hands. Ichigo nodded curtly, not quite sure what to make of the situation. "Well, did you know... The color of a Shinigami's Reiraku is different?" Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and her gray eyes widened. Could this ribbon, this deep red ribbon, which was different from all the others around her... Was this one hers?

"It's red."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for the reviews- They're always very much appreciated!<strong>

**To Akke Andromeda: **

**Actually, what happened with the naming of this character was I was just thinking about the story, and that name came into my head. I really liked it, and it just stuck, but when I started writing it I was like 'Oh, hey, wait... There's totally a Hiyori in Bleach, isn't there?', but after trying it out with several other names I just couldn't stop calling her Hiori. Yes, it's a bit confusing, especially when Hiyori makes an appearance in the very first chapter alongside Hiori herself. Sorry about that!**

**Also, as for your other comment, I went back and looked. If the chapter you are referring to is The Cat and The Deathberry, then no- Although perhaps the way I worded it was improper, I can't be sure. It says that Tatsuki is scrambling to get ready for school and knocks on Hiori's door so she can get ready, and after she does that she comes down, steals her bagel and then leaves. Hope that cleared it up- If I'm mistaken just let me know! **

**Thanks so much for the positive review as well as the feedback, and thank you for reading my story!**

**-Shiuta-san**

**Also, felow readers, I would like to go ahead and apologize in advance- There have been some glitches here on FF recently, one of which is causing me to have updating problems. I can assure you, I haven't deleted any chapters, but sometimes FF won't let you view the new chapter when you get the email alert. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience, and I hope that it's fixed soon!**

********Hitsugaya Hiori is fifteen years old (or so she thinks) and has waist length red hair, which is a very dark red and she has side bangs. Her eyes are gray and appear to be rather large for her face, although not in a way that seems odd. She's bony and has a similar physique to Tatsuki, as well as a similar fashion sense, although her breasts are considerably larger (NOT Orihime's size...).**


	11. Part 1: Past and Present, Faded

...

* * *

><p>'Please, please, give me little strength.'<p>

* * *

><p>Sweat rolled down the sides of her face, and each step she took the tighter her chest got. Hiori had never been a very compitent runner, although she ran often, and she had never understood why the tightness in her chest always came on so soon after she started running. She didn't no how long she had been running for, nor did she had any sort of vague idea in which direction she was headed. All she knew was that everything that she "knew" was crumbling down before her eyes, and at this thought she couldn't help but think of her inner world. The frailty of it all, and how any minute, the slightest misstep could bring it all crashing down on top of her.<p>

_**"Mm, you smell nice." **_said a voice. Hiori's heart leapt, and she abruptly skidded to a halt just before rounding the corner. A sudden, crushing presence had washed over her, bearing down on her weak bones as though she were being crushed to death by a ton of rocks. **_"Who knew I'd run in to such a pretty little thing around here?"_** the voice continued, and Hiori's already large gray eyes widened with fear and anticipation. Somehow, she could smell it. She could feel it. There was no doubt in her mind that the voice speaking to her was that of a Hollow's. **_"Aren't you going to run?"_** it asked, and the ground beneath her shook as the creature took a step or two forward. The masked monster's hot, foul breath washed over her, and she finally understood what Yoruichi had meant by saying something "reaked of Hollow". They really were disgusting. **_"Could it be that you can't see me? In that case, I'll just-"_**

Hiori's body moved of it's own accord, and she suddenly found herself bending over backwards to avoid a sudden jab from the corrupted soul's claws. A throat renching growl escaped its throat, realizing that it may prove difficult to catch its intended prey. It jabbed again, and Hiori had no time to think, only to do, jumping out of the way at the very last second. The creature chuckled darkly to itself, its bottomless eyes set only on her. He had thought that this girl must have just been a human with exceptionally high Reiryoku- But it seemed that she was more prepared for this sort of situation than he had originally anticipated.

**_"So, you aren't going to let me eat you?"_** the monster grumbing, rearing up on his hind legs and bringing his long claws down in one swift movement. The force he used swiped straight through the cement wall, and this time Hiori barely dodged, earning herself a hefty scar down her side. Blood seeped from the long, jagged cut, and had she been in a different situation she would have taken time to be angry over her now ruined uniform. The pristinely white shirt was now stained crimson, the bright red dotting the crisp fabric around the tear. Through it her large black tattoo was barely visible.

_"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!"_ Hiori called, summoning up what energy she had learned to harness and sending it straight towards the enormous beast in front of her. He froze, his eyes wide with shock as he felt his body cease to move, the bright red light pulsating ominously around him.

**_"A Shinigami spell?"_** he choked out, his eyes darting around. Surely this human wasn't the one who had used this Kido against him? But he could see no one else. Hiori stayed silent, her furious eyes glaring up at the monster before her. Had the Hollow payed closer attention to her face, he most likely would have seen her arguing with herself internally. On the one hand, she needed to finish this Hollow in order to survive and obtain the answers she both needed and deserved- But on the other hand, she was reluctant to believe that this was truely her power, or that she was a Shinigami to begin with. The more she doubted it, the more her Kido seemed to waver, and her gaze hardened as holding onto the spell became increasingly more difficult.

"What are you after, Hollow?" she asked, desperately attempting to disguise the ever growing panic in her voice. "What do-" She was cut off by a sudden, rough blow to the head, which sent her careening into the wall behind her. Geki released, and the Hollow was once again able to move- And this time, he had back up. Hiori could feel her body going numb- Her deep red hair pooled around her hands where she lay, defenseless, on the ground. Her head was throbbing, and she couldn't think straight, much less defend herself against four hungry, not to mention enormous, Hollows.

"Are you stupid?" a voice asked, and Hiori blinked. Her vision now seemed clearer, although what she was looking at had most certainly changed. The boy had returned, and his thoroughly unamused expression told her that he was more than disappointed in her at the moment. "This is pathetic, Hiori." he muttered, digging his hands into his pockets and glaring at her. Hiori suddenly remembered how Yoruichi had called this boy "sassy", and now that she was speaking with him, she had to agree. He was being rather rude. "Just use Shunpo, like you always do."

"I don't know how to do Shunpo." she replied stonily, and her knees shook as the maze around her dropped clouds of dust and small pieces of rock all around them. The dark haired boy raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer to her before continuing.

"You used to be such a badass- What happened to you?" he retorted, his goading eyes not at all matching the passive expression on his face. Hiori frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away. "This is just humiliating." he mummbled, mostly to himself. Glancing around, her ran his thin fingers through his feathery hair, a slight frown creasing his forehead. "The longer you deny these things, the quicker this world will deteriorate, you know."

"What do you mean?" she blurted, uncrossing her arms, curiosity getting the better of her. The boy seemed to notice this, as well, and instead of answering he merely snickered.

"You really are an idiot." he said, causing Hiori to flinch indignantly. For someone who lived in _her_ subconscious, he sure didn't seem to respect her very much. "That's not something to talk about right now. The logner we wait, the closer we get to becoming Hollow food." Hiori gulped, suddenly remembering that, while she was in here, everything that had been happening previously in the real world continued. "So. What are you gonna do about it?"

"You tell me, you fucking useless idiot!" she retorted, snarling slightly as she did so. She had had it with cryptic people saying things like 'You already know', and 'You're a Shinigami'. She didn't have time for it, especially now, and she figured that out of all people this boy should know best- He was made from her mind, after all.

"I'm not your mind, I'm your soul." he explained, rolling his eyes in apparent distaste. Hiori was briefly taken aback.

"I... What?" she murmured, eyeing him curiously. "My soul?" He nodded once, his calm blue eyes eyeing her in a detatched sort of way. "Why the hell is my soul a man? Am I secretly a hermaphrodite, too?" With all the things she had been learning about herself recently, it really wouldn't surprise her if there had been more, although she had to admit that she would be seriously pissed if she turned out to be a she-man.

"... No. Are you dumb?" Hiori's eyebrow twitched. That's all he had been saying to her ever since she got here. 'Stupid', 'Are you dumb', and 'Idiot'. It was hardly endearing. "A soul doesn't have to be the same gender."

"Well, excuse me! I didn't know!" she replied, throwing her hands in the air, defeated. "There's all this shit I don't know, and everyone keeps telling me that I do, and I don't. So what the hell do you want from me?" As she said this, Hiori could have sworn that she saw what looked like a smile flicker across his face. "Fucking hell!"

"There ya' go. Let it all out." he muttered tiredly, as if it were something of a routine. "Now stop complaining." He shot a venomous glare in Hiori's direction, which shut her up immediately, although he seemed to purposefully be keeping his voice as nonchalant as possible. Without another word, the boy reached inside the wall to his left, drawing out a dusty and tattered looking book. The cover was worn, almost ancient looking, and Hiori half-expected to see cobwebs inside of it. "We don't have a lot of time..." he murmured, thumbing through the book until he found what page he was looking for. A mischevious smirk grew on his face, as though he were about to get his way with something.

"H-hey... Mister Inner-Me... What're-" The boy scowled, keeping the book open and walking briskly up to her.

"It's not 'Mister Inner-Me', you bitch!" he retorted, and no sooner had the words left his mouth Hiori felt something slam straight into her face, her vision turning black, and all of a sudden she knew just what to do, and just how to do it, yellow words that read as instructions flashing over her mind's eye. Everything was so crystal clear. She opened her eyes, the ravenous masks of the Hollows now dangerously close- And then she was gone. Soaring, flying, she couldn't even feel her feet touch the ground. A strange feeling of nostalgia came over her, as if she had done this often, and as if she had been extremely good at it. It was a wonderful feeling, this free-falling feeling.

Suddenly, her door was in front of her. She wasn't out of breath. She didn't even feel tired, and for a moment she felt as though she were on top of the world- That was, until the horrible sensation from the injury she had sustained washed over her once again. Her knees buckled, and she soon found herself collapsed in the middle of her lawn. No one was home, and she figured that the blood loss must have been what was making her feel so dizzy. So she lay there, her thoughts that had once been so clear soon fading back into an enormous tangle of problems. Her breathing evened out, and she shut her eyes, letting sleep take her as she felt the sprinklers turn on, sprinkling her heated skin with cool water.

She was Hitsugaya Hiori. And, apparently, she was a Shinigami.

* * *

><p>"We need to talk." Hiori gulped audibly. The voice was stern, calculating, and most of all very suspicious. Hiori had, against her better judgement, decided to come to school that day. Originally, she had thought that Ichigo had decided to let the incedent the following day slide, as he hadn't even spoken to her since she entered the classroom. Unfortunately for Hiori, it was now the end of the day, and they were the only two left in the classroom.<p>

"What about?" she asked monotonously, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back in her chair. Ichigo made a face, apparently not appreciating her attitude.

"You know what." he replied resolutely, his brown eyes narrowing as he stared at her. Any false hopes that she may have had about somehow wriggling out of this situation vanished completely, and she could clearly see that Ichigo was on the verge of loosing any trust he had ever placed in her. She bit her lip, casting her gray eyes downward as she debated with herself internally. On the one hand, Ichigo wanted answers, and he deserved them. After all, through all this he had protected her when she couldn't go up against Hollows on her own. On the other hand... She had no answers to give him.

"I don't know what to tell you, Ichigo," she murmured, folding her arms across her chest and glancing up at the boy in front of her from beneath her eyelashes. His gaze hardened even more, and she could see that he wasn't going to accept that sort of half-assed answer. Sighing heavily, Hiori put her elbows up on her desk, folding her hands over each other and resting her chin on the backs of her hands. "It's not as if... I know any more about the situation than you do." she explained.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, crossing his arms angrily and scowling.

"It means just what I said." she replied resolutely before standing up. "If I were to tell you the truth, it wouldn't help you at all."

"How can I believe that?"

"If I really think about it... I can't even remember how I got to Karakura town." she said softly, running her fingers through her long red hair. "I don't remember anyone in my life before the hospital. So I don't know what to tell you."

"So what? You've got amnesia or something?" he asked, looking up at her from where he sat. "That's such a lame excuse- I don't even know if I believe it." Ichigo said as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Pretty convenient, isn't it? Not being able to answer any of my questions."

"That's one way to look at it," Hiori said. To her, it hardly seemed convenient. She would have liked, more than anything, to be able to remember just who she was. Just _what_ she was. Where she had come from, and what she had been like before. If she was a Shinigami, like the Ishida said she was, then was she really even a fifteen year old girl? She could be thousands of years old, trapped in the body of someone much younger than she really was. Ichigo stood up, tossing his school bag over his shoulder and putting his free hand in his pocket.

"I just need to know who you are, Hiori." he said somberly, his eyes meeting hers as he waited for her to say something. It was a little ironic, Hiori thought, someone asking her who she really was when she wasn't even sure of that herself. She had never fully appreciated the life that she lead, but now that it was slowly pulling away from her, she could only think about how much she wanted it back.

"Who knows..." she murmured, and a small smile passed over her face as she turned to go. The halls were empty, the bell signifying the end of the school day having rung ages ago, and as she exited the building she glanced up at the sun. It was low in the sky now, although she and Ichigo hadn't been talking for very long at all- Most of their conversation had been spent in an awkward silence, each of them unwilling to be the first to speak.

Hiori's shoe made contact with a small stone, kicking it forcefully down the pathway in front of her. The whole situation angered her- As of now, Yoruichi and Urahara probably knew more about her and her life than she did. It was troubling, having other people know exactly who you are when you had absolutely no clue, as well as not knowing how you had even forgotten something so important in the first place.

After turning random corners for what felt like hours, Hiori once again found herself at the dead-end road where Urahara Shop stood. The large blocky letters on the sign stood out in the rapidly dimming light, and she couldn't help but wonder exactly who this Urahara Kisuke was.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-san," a jovial voice said, causing Hiori to jump quite noticeably. Somehow, Urahara always seemed to be able to sneak up on her. "Are you looking for Yoruichi?" he asked. Hiori paused before turning around to face him. In his arms he held a familiar black cat, its large frame drooping as he held it under its front legs. The cat was giving Hiori a dead pan gaze- Yoruichi didn't seem to enjoy being held like this.

"I... Uh, I didn't know she was here, actually." Hiori confessed, looking questioningly at the cat.

"Oh?" Urahara murmured, placing the cat carefully on the ground before continuing. "Then why is it that you're here, Hitsugaya-san?" Hiori was silent for a moment, glaring resolutely at the ground as she processed her current situation. She wanted to ask him outright. Just come out and say it. But considering that the both Urahara and Yoruichi had gone all this time without telling her anything about herself, she figured they wouldn't be inclined to answer all of her questions. It seemed that they were determined for her to figure it out for herself, as troublesome as it was. She sighed heavily, folding her arms over her chest and drumming her fingertips agitatedly on her upper arm.

"I came to ask you something." she said finally. Her eyes were set firmly on the cat, who was now twisting around her ankles in a feline sort of way.

"Ask away."

"I don't think you'll answer me," Hiori said quickly, kicking Yoruichi away as she clawed at her leg.

"And why wouldn't I?" Urahara said, adjusting his green and white striped hat. Hiori pondered that statement for a moment, not entirely certain how she should reply. If he wasn't opposed to answering her questions, then her luck couldn't be better, but she had a sneaking suspicion that this was just too good to be true. With Yoruichi, things had never been so simple, and she doubted that things would be too much different with Yoruichi's friends.

"Am I a Shinigami, Urahara-san?" she blurted, deciding to take a direct approach. Something flickered over Urahara's face, an expression that Hiori didn't recognize. He was quiet for several minutes, and Hiori could feel her palms start to sweat- He was doing this on purpose.

"Why don't you tell me, Hitsugaya-san?" he said finally. At this, Hiori looked up from the ground, shooting an demonic glare his way. It was all she could do to keep her temper from blowing up then and there.

"I-You... _You_ tell _me_, you stubborn bastard!" she roared, grabbing Urahara by the collar as she did so. He was only half a foot taller than she was, and yet he still had to look down at her, which she hated- She wasn't used to feeling so small, and the ridiculous wooden sandals that he wore only made him seem taller.

"My apologies, Hitsugaya-san, but it would work much more in your favor if you were to remember things on your own." he explained, keeping his face calm as he stared down at Hiori's enraged expression. Despite her anger, Hiori couldn't help but feel that this situation seemed somewhat familiar, and she couldn't shake the feeling the she had, at one point, been fairly close to the man called Urahara Kisuke. "Now, why don't you tell me what brought all this on."

"Reiroku." Hiori said simply, releasing Urahara and walking towards the shop, the large black cat in tow. "A boy in my class used Reiroku and said that Shinigami had different colored ones... And mine was red. It looked like Ichigo's." she murmured as Urahara slid open the door to his shop. He made an amused sort of humming noise in the back of his throat, a small smile creeping over his features.

"How interesting. Another person in Kurasaki-san's class seems to have spiritual power..." he muttered as he sat down at the table in the middle of the room. "So, what does that tell you, Hitsugaya-san?"

"That I'm a Shinigami?" she replied, seating herself across from the light hearted man. "But... That just doesn't make sense."

"And why not, exactly?"

"I've never done anything like this before. Shunpo, Kido, all that stuff." she explained. "Why now?" Urahara was silent for a moment, and Hiori raised an incredulous eyebrow as he exchanged glances with Yoruichi, who was now sprawled lazily on her furry back on top of the table.

"Well, that would most likely be a result of your close proximity with Kurosaki Ichigo." he said finally, and Hiori did a double take. What on earth did Ichigo have to do with her powers? Certainly just by being around him her body and mind couldn't be affected to this extent. When she voiced her opinion, however, Urahara shook his head slowly. "You aren't the only one who has had their dormant powers awoken by Kurosaki-san."

"What?"

"Both Yasutora-san and Inoue-san have discovered that they, too, seem to have some form of spiritual power." he explain. Hiori's gaze hardened instantly. Although she did not mind Chad having anything to do with the current situation, she couldn't help herself from feeling slightly annoyed that Orihime was now becoming involved. It seemed that, no matter how hard she tried, Orihime would always be deeply involved in some way, shape or form in Hiori's life. "They have never before shown signs of spiritual powers. I believe that, because of Kurosaki-san's overwhelming Reiryoku, he has drawn out their natural powers." Hiori nodded slowly, taking in the new information bit by bit. She wondered momentarily what sort of powers Orihime possessed, and if she was stronger than she was- She quickly dismissed the thought from her mind.

"With you, however, things are a little bit different." Urahara continued, and Hiori's attention quickly snapped back to the man across from her. "Your powers were, like Inoue-san and Yasutora-san, already there. But you have used them before, though, admittedly, not in this world."

"Not... In this world?" she whispered. Her hands were involuntarily shaking with anticipation, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't calm her frantic heart beat. Urahara nodded in affirmation, once again resting his hands inside of his sleeves.

"For most of your life, Hiori, you resided in a place known as Soul Society." Hiori's breath caught in her throat. She had known that some sort of information like this was coming. But, "most of her life" could mean many things. Had she always lived there? And for how long? Who had she been while she lived there, and who had known her... She possessed no memory of it. "When you die in the human world, Hiori, you go to Soul Society. Such was the case for you."

"I was alive before now?" she asked suddenly, balling her shaking hands into fists. "Before this life? I was a different person?" Urahara nodded before continuing.

"You arrived in the Junrinan district of West Rukongai. And after some time, you became a Shinigami." he explained. Yoruichi righted herself, her yellow cat eyes shooting a warning glare in Urahara's direction. "That's basically how your life went." he finished lamely, and Hiori slammed her fists onto the table.

"But you haven't told me anything!" she protested, her gray eyes livid as she glared at the blonde man and the black cat. Yoruichi was regarding her calmly from her place on the table, apparently unfazed by her sudden outburst.

"Too much information at once could have repercussions." she said calmly, her gravely voice seeming to echo over the empty room. Hiori folded her arms across her chest, averting her gaze from the pair momentarily to glare at the floor. What was Junrinan? Or West Rukongai? And how had she gone from being a dead girl, to being a spirit, to being a Shinigami, and back to being a human again?

"Urahara-san," she began, her gaze still firmly set on the ground to her left. "Right now... Am I human right now?" Yoruichi answered before Urahara could find his voice.

"Of course not," she answerd, speaking as if Hiori were stupid. "The body that your spirit is currently inhabiting is called a Gigai,"

"What the hell is that?"

"A Gigai is an artificial body, used by Shinigami," Urahara answered. "They allow them to interact with others in the Human world. Mainly, they use them so they can carry out prolonged missions in the Human world- But in your case, it was so that you could lead a normal life until you figured things out again." Hiori stayed silent for a moment, and then without thinking she dug her nails into her forearm. "Ah... Hitsugaya-san, what are you doing?" She gave no answer, and instead continued to poke a prod at her body. For a fake body, it sure seemed real. Nothing seemed off about any of her reactions- But then again, how was she to know how anything was meant to feel? For all she knew, everything she had ever experienced- Any feeling, anything she saw, anything she tasted- It could all be wrong.

"How did I get here? Why didn't I just stay a Shinigami?"

"The decision to not remain a Shinigami after your arrival in the Human world was a decision that you made yourself." Urahara replied. "How you got here... That is something you will learn at another time."

"That's not fair." Hiori spat, glaring icily across the table. This was her life they were talking about, yet they refused to tell her what she wanted. Yoruichi made her way across the table, stopping only inches in front of the red head's face, noses nearly touching.

"Remember what I said- Too much information at once could prove harmful." she said, her yellow eyes meeting Hiori's for a moment. "Besides, wouldn't it be better if you remember on your own? We could be giving you faulty information- You're too trusting," Hiori glowered, and she grabbed Yoruichi by the scruff of the neck.

"Give me bad information, and I _will_ kill you, you stupid cat." she grumbled, challenging the cat with her eyes while she glared at her. Their staring match was suddenly interrupted, a crushing power suddenly coming into the air. Hiori released Yoruichi, and the large cat landed with a resounding thud on the tabletop. Hiori felt as though her bones were being crushed, and she could have sworn that she could hear them creaking.

"This Reiatsu..." Urahara murmured as he glanced out of the front door curiously. Yoruichi nodded, hopping off of the table.

"There's no doubt... It's him." she murmured, and Hiori followed Urahara's gaze up towards the now darkened sky.

"Who?" she asked softly, and Yoruichi paused briefly before answering.

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

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><p><strong>Progressed Hiori's memories a little further in this chapter, although she still has no clue as to what happened in her past, or what Rukongai is. The more she denies her past, however, the more unstable her inner world gets- And she still doesn't know which of her "Zanpakutos" to trust.<strong>

**As always, reviews are much appreciated!**


	12. Part 1: The Unfinished July Rain

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><p>"We must never shed tears. That is the life form's defeat, and if we give into the emotions, then it only becomes proof of our inability to control it."<p>

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><p>Steady rain beat down on the trio as they walked slowly down the street, the ever growing darkness pressing in on them from all sides. Despite having asked repeatedly where it was, exactly, that they were going, Hiori still hadn't the vaguest idea of the point of this highly inconvenient late night stroll. Yoruichi was stretched precariously over Urahara's shoulders, and Hiori had lately found herself wondering exactly what sort of relationship the two were in. Had Yoruichi not currently been in the form of an extremely masculine-sounding cat, she was sure that they would be all over each other.<p>

The farther they walked, the harder it became for Hiori to shake the feeling that things were eerily quiet, even for a rainy night like this. She expected to hear cars, or people running from the rain. But there wasn't a single noise to be heard other than the steady patter of the water droplets hitting Urahara's umbrella. Yoruichi said something in a hushed voice in Urahara's ear, and despite herself Hiori glowered. She'd never been one for secrets.

"Byakuya Aniki!" Hiori instantly recognized the voice to be Kuchiki Rukia's, her sudden scream piercing through the hushed silence that surrounded them. Hiori quickened her pace, which Urahara easily matched. The farther she walked, the louder the raised voices became. She was unable to tell just how many people there were- She seemed to hear a new voice every time. Her breath caught in her throat as Ichigo's voice reached her ears, and before Urahara could stop her she had broken into an all out sprint.

"Hiori, don't!" Yoruichi called after her, but her gravely voice was soon lost in the pounding July rain. Hiori skidded on her heals as she gracelessly rounded the corner, and she had to place her palm on the ground for a moment to keep herself from toppling over. A sudden pang went through her side, and she abruptly remembered that she still had a deep gash in her side from her brief encounter with the Hollows the previous afternoon.

"Ruki... a..." Hiori breathed, finally coming to a halt in the middle of the street. Crimson blood washed into the storm drains, and her eyes quickly followed the stream of red liquid to its source- A barely conscious Ichigo. A group of three people stood by a large door, seemingly having appeard out of no where in the middle of the street. Hiori's breath was coming out ragged, her chest and shoulders heaving, and she wondered vaguely if low stamina was a side affect of inhabiting a Gigai.

"Hiori... You need... Get out of here..." Ichigo muttered, turning his head slowly so he could look at her. The red haired girl shivered, although she didn't think it was from the chill of the rain. It was something about these people, although she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Apparently, they could.

"Hitsugaya?" a voice asked, and Hiori raised her eyes to meet with the red headed boy standing opposite of her. Dark, inky black tattoos adorned his scowling face, and his harsh eyes were set solely on her. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, and even the other man beside him now had his gaze fixated only on her. Rukia's eyes met her own briefly, but she quickly turned to leave.

"Rukia, where-"

"Stay silent, Hitsugaya Hiori." The stern, level voice of the taller man cut her off. He seemed to be trying to intimidate her with his eyes, but for some reason all it did was make her angry, even though she knew that she should have been intimidated. How did this man know her name... How did either of them know her name? She moved her lips, desperately trying to form words, asking Rukia to stay, to turn around, to come back. But it was as if her throat had closed up, and no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to form words. The crushing Reiatsu that seemed to be emitting from the dark haired man in front of her was almost too much to bear. "This is a surprise. How is it that you aren't with the rest of them?"

"The rest of who?" Hiori murmured darkly, and she soon found herself having trouble controlling her short temper. The man's dark eyes narrowed suspiciously, as though he thought she were lying. The man on his right made a scathing sound in the back of his throat, heaving his sword over his shoulder as he did so.

"You think you can play dumb, Hitsugaya?" he asked, raising what Hiori could only assume was supposed to be an eyebrow.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Hiori replied, and despite her desperate attempts to keep her voice calm and controlled, she could hear the annoyance laced into her words. Yet again she was being accused of things that either she had nothing to do with, or she didn't remember, which put her at a severe disadvantage. She could neither confirm nor deny their accusations.

"Your kind are viewed as criminals, as you are well aware, Hitsugaya Hiori." he murmured, and it seemed that the red haired boy had had enough of speaking, instead shrugging his shoulders and following Rukia through the strange door behind them. "Acquiring Hollow powers is a serious crime." Hiori froze, and she heard Ichigo splutter in both confusion and pain.

"I- What?" she replied, not really sure what to say to that. If she had Hollow powers, why would they attack her? Was it even possible to gain such a thing? If it were, she was sure she wouldn't want it. Creatures like Hollows were foul, disgusting things. The man in front of her made a noise in the back of his throat, sheathing his sword before beginning to turn away.

"You were a serious disappointment to my grandfather, Hitsugaya Hiori."

"Stop saying my name as if you know me!" she yelled indignantly, balling her hands into fists and glaring heatedly at the man standing across from her. She hated being accused, besmirched, and judged; All for things that she hadn't the vaguest recolection of. This man in front of her- She didn't even know his name, and here he was, calling her a disappointment to a yet another person that she did not know. "You keep saying my name, but I don't know you, or your grandfather! So how could I possibly be a disappointment?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

"What?"

"My name. Remember it well, Hitsugaya Hiori," he murmured, stepping into the glowing light just beyond the sliding doors. "For if you ever return to Soul Society, I will be the one to kill you." And without another word, the doors were shut, and the glowing white light no longer illuminated the darkened street. Hiori's hair stuck to her face like dried blood, her large gray eyes continuing to stare at the place where the man had, moments previously, been standing.

"Kuchiki... Byakuya..." she whispered, and she unconsciously clenched her fists. Why was her mind telling her to remember that name? Certainly she had never been close to someone so cold, so detatched, so murderous. But something inside of her swiftly reminded her that she had no way of knowing what she had been like before, and thus would not know who she would have chosen to associate with.

The clicking of wood on asphalt drew Hiori out of her musings, and she peered over her shoulder to watch as Urahara leaned over the fallen Ichigo, shielding him from the relentless rain. He was no longer moving, though she could clearly see the sporadic rise and fall of his back as his breathing faltered. She lowered her eyes sadly for a moment, her eyes following the river of watered down blood as it flowed around her shoes.

"Hitsugaya-san, would you mind helping?" Urahara murmured, gesturing to his umbrella and to Yoruichi. Hiori quickly snapped out of it, walking briskly over to the tall blonde man and taking both the cat and the umbrella from him as he hoisted the wounded Ichigo over his shoulder. He let out a strained grunt as he shifted the heavy body in his arms, and Ichigo groaned in pain. Hiori and Yoruichi exchanged glances as Urahara took off back in the direction from which they had just come from.

"Yoruichi, will he be alright?" Hiori murmured, picking up her pace in order to catch up with the man in front of her.

"He will be." Yoruichi replied, her masculine voice lowered slightly as if they were speaking about someone on the verge of dying- And Hiori had no doubt that he was. She had never seen so much blood in her life. "Urahara will take good care of him."

Both Urahara and Yoruichi disappeared into a room no sooner had they returned to the shop, shutting the door loudly behind them, which gave Hiori the impression that she was not to disturb them. Instead she walked out to the back of the shop, watching the rain fall steadily from her place beneath the overhang. In her mind, Hiori replayed the scene between herself and the man called Byakuya over and over, trying to make sense of the words that he had spoken. But no forgotten memories sprouted up, no forgotten feelings made themselves known, and she ended up feeling more lost than she had been minutes ago.

She got little sleep that night, all her time consumed in her thoughts, continuously replaying memories that she had. All of them were from the life that she lead now- Not a single one from her life previous, or from her supposed life in Soul Society. Kuchiki Byakuya still held some sort of presence in the vague corners of her mind, but the harder she tried to grab onto them the more they seemed to slip away. It was like trying to remember a dream right after you had woken up from it- The harder you tried, the less you remembered.

"Hitsugaya-san, come here a moment," said a voice, and Hiori jumped slightly. She had been on her own all night, leaning against the wall outside and listening to the falling rain.

"What is it?" she muttered as she stretched, following the voice coming from the room that Urahara had brought Ichigo into the night before. A sudden yell woke her up completely- Ichigo was yelling something about being too close, and as Hiori peered into the room she saw a rather large looking man moving off from on top of Ichigo. She raised an eyebrow. Had they been sleeping together?

"Gross." she muttered, which did not go unnoticed by Ichigo, who shot an embarrassed glare in her direction.

"Uh-oh," a voice chimed, and instantly Hiori snapped her head to her right, spying a jovial looking Urahara standing several feet away from her. "You shouldn't move around so much, Kurosaki-san. Your injuries haven't fully healed." As he said this, he opened up his fan and waved it teasingly over his face. Hiori gave him a dead pan stare- He looked unbelievably gay. "If you move around too much, you could die,"

"Geta Boushi*****!" Ichigo exclaimed, slightly startled by the sudden appearance of the man he had only met maybe once before. His gaze darted between Hiori's lazy expression and the man standing in front of him. "So you _do_ know this guy." he grumbled, frowning in Hiori's direction, but she shook her head.

"Not really, he weirds me out just as much as he does you,"

"That's not a terribly nice thing to say." Urahara retorted, something that looked like a pout crossing over his features briefly.

"So, is this your house?" Ichigo asked, staring up apprehensively at Urahara, who smiled brightly and shut his fan.

"Correct." he said happily. Ichigo's face fell and he cast his eyes downward, an expression of regret coming over him suddenly. Hiori raised her eyebrows in confusion as he muttered something that she couldn't quite hear from her place in the doorway. "What's this? Your tone is unexpected- You make it sound as if I've done something wrong." Urahara replied, but Ichigo simply stayed silent. Hiori carefully studied Ichigo's expression as the two men continued to converse, though she didn't really listen. Somehow, he seemed to be resenting the fact that he had been revived.

"How? How can I get there!" Ichigo's sudden outburst roused Hiori from her trance. "Tell me!" Hiori moved her gaze to Urahara, now lost since she hadn't been listening to the pair's conversation prior.

"Of course I'll tell- Under one condition." Urahara said, holding up a single finger to show it was important. "Starting now, for ten days, you will learn how to fight properly with me." he said seriously. Ichigo remained in stunned silence for a moment, apparently at a loss for what to say. "This goes for you, as well, Hitsugaya-san." Hiori's eyes widened at the sudden mention of her name, and she crossed her arms indignantly.

"Why's that?" she grumbled, leaning up against the door frame with an unhappy expression on her face. "I'm completely useless, you should focus on Ichigo." Urahara chuckled, ignoring Ichigo's rising annoyance with his one condition for taking him to Soul Society.

"Quite the contrary, Hitsugaya-san, as you will soon discover." he replied, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hiori sighed heavily, leaning her head against the wall just as Ichigo finally lost it.

"Shit! You're tellin' us to train!" he roared as he took several steps closer to a completely unfazed Urahara. "Do you think we've got time for that? Rukia's gonna be executed! We should get there as fast as possible-"

"You really are an exasperating person," Urahara muttered impatiently, bringing his cane close to Ichigo's face and shoving him back down onto the ground. Blatant shock contorted Hiori's features, for she had never witnessed the light hearted and care free man to resort to force or violence, and had always assumed him to be some sort of pacifist. "The point that I want to make is... You will _die_ if you go there in your current condition." Hiori's breath caught her throat, the seriousness of Urahara's voice suddenly bringing the dangers of returning to Soul Society into the forefront of her mind. "You really think that you could win if you fight with them now?" Ichigo stayed quiet, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath from their little scuffle earlier.

"Urahara-san... You didn't let Ichigo fight those men on purpose..." she murmured darkly, her gray eyes clouded with suspicion as she watched the older man's expression. "Did you?"

"That I did." he replied steadily, and Hiori's gaze instantly hardened. To put Ichigo in so much danger to simply prove a point seemed as excessive as it was reckless, but she made no reply, for he had said it with such confidence that she couldn't seem to find a voice to contradict him with. "With your current level of skill, you won't stand a chance fighting against the Soul Society. You are weak, and a weakling barging into territory is something we call 'Suicide', Kurosaki-san. 'To save Rukia'? Stop being so childish. Do not use other people as an excuse to kill yourself."

Hiori watched as Ichigo's expression changed from one of defiance to acceptance, and the intense atmosphere suddenly changed to one that was slightly more lighthearted, though something about it had sent adrenaline coursing through Hiori's veins. It was as though Urahara had been pointing a sword at Ichigo's head, and a fight was just about to ensue. The fact that something of such a nature made her feel so alive caused Hiori to feel slightly uncomfortable, and she crossed her arms tightly around her torso in an attempt to control herself.

"The Soul Society usually allows a grace period that lasts a month for the maximum penalty in a convict's execution." he explained as he straightened up and moved his cane out of Ichigo's face. "Such will be the case with Kuchiki-san. We will take just ten days to annoy you. It will take seven days to open the door to Soul Society, so after you arrive you will have thirteen days. It will be plenty of time."

"In ten days... Will I become stronger?" Ichigo asked solemnly.

"Of course," Urahara answered swiftly, but somehow Hiori felt that the blonde man in front of her was not being entirely sincere. "If you truly wish to save Kuchiki-san. A strong will is stronger than steel- If your determination is anything less than whole hearted, throw it away. For ten days, can you be seriously determined to fight?" Ichigo was silent for several moments, and Urahara turned towards Hiori. "The same goes for you, Hitsugaya-san." he said as he waited for Ichigo's reply. "Perhaps you do not wish to save Kuchiki-san as much as Kurosaki-san, but retrieving your dormant powers is the only way to get those memories of yours back."

"I'd like to save Rukia, as well." she murmured, and as she spoke her mind traveled back to the last time she had seen the dark haired girl. It had been only yesterday that she had been eating lunch with her, along with several other girls from their class, and everything had seemed so normal. Gossiping and giggling and teasing, things that normal human girls did. But it seemed that neither Rukia nor Hiori herself were what one would call "normal girls", and although the act of eating lunch together was no more bonding than running into each other randomly in the street, Hiori felt that she owed Kuchiki Rukia that much, just for ever having known her. "I'm going to save Rukia, and then I'm going to get my memories back."

"If we don't do it, then no one else will," Ichigo muttered, scratching the back of his head and finally turning around to face both Urahara and Hiori. "I guess I have no choice." His light brown eyes met Hiori's briefly, who nodded just to show that she was still with him. "Let's give it a try."

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><p><strong>Hiori's first interaction with people from Soul Society (Aside from Urahara and Yoruichi), and this is the first time she hears anything of people being able to have possession of Hollow powers- A concept she still has yet to understand. <strong>**She vaguely remembers Byakuya, but only by name, as she has yet to recall any of the memories attached to the name. She also doesn't know who he was referring to as "Them", but I'm sure most readers can guess!**

***Geta Boushi: Wooden Sandal Hat. It's how Ichigo referred to Urahara before knowing his name in the manga.**

**Special thanks to Shun for asking permission to use my OC in her knew story- It's much appreciated!**

**As always, review, and look out for the next chapter!**


	13. Part 1: Triple H

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><p>"Everyone's memory of her existence in this world vanished, without a trace. Like the wind."<p>

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><p>"So, I think that's about all I had to cover, today," the teacher said as she smiled out over the crowd of students. Hiori tapped her fingernails impatiently on her desk top, and her eyes were locked on the back of Ichigo's neck. He seemed to be doing better, much better, since Urahara had given him a bottle of mystery healing pills, and his multiple wounds had been disappearing at an eye-popping rate. He was still acting more guarded around her than usual, which she had expected, since he no longer really knew who she was. The really sad part of the whole situation was that she didn't know who she was, either. "Well, since it's summer vacation, remember to flake off all of your homework, except for today's Japanese lesson! When you're partying, you have to be a little immoral for it to become a good memory!" Ichigo and Hiori exchanged glances- Teachers really shouldn't say such things.<p>

"Okay, everyone, stay alive until September!" she called, and with that the final bell to end school rang. Hiori sat in her desk a moment longer, mulling over the teacher's last words slowly in her mind. For everyone else, those words may just be a bad joke, but to her and Ichigo, they might actually have to take them to heart. 'Stay alive until September'... She guessed that it would be easier said than done in the ravenous world of Soul Society.

Ichigo continued to sit in his chair, staring absently at Ishida Uryuu's seat, which was empty. So far in school, nothing had been off, not in the slightest- Unless you were to count the fact that nobody seemed to have any recolection of the dark haired girl known as Kuchiki Rukia. Hiori sighed softly, pushing herself away from her desk and stuffing her books inside of her school bag. It seemed that once a resident returned to Soul Society, humans just stopped knowing of their existence entirely. She wondered if Tatsuki would remember her after her departure to Soul Society. Something told her that she wouldn't.

"Ichigo!" An elated voice broke through Hiori's slightly depressing train of thought, and as she looked up she was met with Keigo deftly tying a blind fold over Ichigo's eyes, spinning him around as he did so with a big, goofy grin plastered on his face. "Now, guess where the watermelon is!" he commanded, and no sooner had the words left his mouth was he on the floor, holding his beaten head in his hands. A seething Ichigo stood over him, gripping the bat tightly in his fists. "Hey, hey! It's crack the watermelon, not crack open Keigo!" he whined, and Hiori rolled her eyes as Mizuiro worked to stop the bleeding.

"We need to go, Ichigo," Hiori murmured as they followed both Keigo and Mizuiro out into the courtyard. "What are we doing out here, anyways?" she asked, turning to Keigo. His smile widened, despite the pain in his head, as they made their way over to a familiar group of people sitting on some benches. Hiori and Ichigo chose to remain standing, and Orihime beamed as Ichigo approached.

"Water melon, innertube, beach ball, surf board, sun screen, bathing suit!" Keigo cried, naming off various items. Chad gave him a bored look, and Hiori vaguely wondered why the tall Latino even bothered to put up with such things. Then again, she wasn't sure why she did, either. "This is what Summer is all about! Summer means Ocean! Thus I, Asano Keigo, am proposing a co-ed ten day trip to the ocean!" Ichigo and Hiori exchanged glances as Keigo continued to ramble on about mixed bathing, something that Hiori had absolutely no intentions of doing with Keigo. Not that either of them would have gone in the first place, but it was unfortunate for Keigo that he wanted a ten day beach trip right that moment. Their ten days had already been monopolized by the one and only Geta Boushi- Urahara Kisuke.

"Sorry, no space in my schedual." Ichigo said swiftly, holding up his hand as if fending off something. "So on this one, I'll have to pass." Keigo's face fell, and next he turned to Hiori.

"Yeah, sorry, but I'm not going."

"Why?" Keigo whined, as Hiori had given him no reason. "Are you hanging out with Ichigo with out me! What are you two doing!" Hiori rolled her eyes, running her long figners through her hair tiredly.

"Maybe. But mostly, I just don't want to go to the beach with you," she replied, shooting him a small smirk. After both Ichigo and Hiori denied their invitation, each of the other people in turn said that they, too, would be unable to go. Although some of them had fairly good reasons, others simply said "Sorry, I can't", though Hiori was certain Keigo was probably the reason. Despite his fun loving attitude, Keigo was not the easiest person to hang out with.

Choosing to leave before things with Keigo got too out of hand, Ichigo and Hiori made their way down the empty street in silence. It was strange, since nothing seemed out of place in the slightest, even though there was one less being in the world now that Rukia had gone.

"You need to stop by your house, right?" Hiori asked, throwing her school bag over her shoulder in the usual way that she carried it.

"Yeah, I need to get some stuff. You?"

"Nah, Yoruichi's bringing mine to Urahara's." she replied, and Ichigo raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Yoruichi?" he asked, and Hiori suddenly remembered that Ichigo had yet to meet her cat. She opened her mouth, preparing to explain, but she was cut off by the sudden and most unwanted appearance of Inoue Orihime. Ichigo stopped in his tracks and he stared straight at Orihime, who looked somewhat troubled. "Inoue? What's wrong?" he asked, and Hiori rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Rukia. Where's... Rukia?" Orihime murmured, and Hiori's eyes widened. Urahara had explained to her that Orihime now had some sort of power, but somewhere in the back of her mind she really had hoped that she would forget all about Rukia, just like everyone else. It seemed that, no matter how determined the red head was to get the girl out of her life, fate just wouldn't have it. "Why has everyone suddenly forgotten about her? I thought... Somehow... You would know."

"Well, I'm out." Hiori muttered as she stretched her arms behind her head. "See ya' later, Ichigo." Ichigo spluttered, apparently not having been expecting being left on his own with Orihime.

"Hey, Hio-" Hiori cut him off by waving lazily over her shoulder as she turned the corner. She had no intention of spending any more time with Inoue Orihime than would soon become necessary. She slowly made her way towards Urahara shop, her mind still feeling sluggish from a whole day in school. She wondered if, once she made it back to Soul Society, if she would remember all of those memories that she had lost. And if she did, would she be able to return to the world she now called home? _Would_ she be able to?

"Ah, Hitsugaya-san," A familiar voice greeted Hiori as she finally made it to the dead end road where Urahara Shop was located. Urahara waved at her enthusiastically from his place just outside of the entrance to his shop, his usual green and white striped hat shielding his eyes from the sun. "Where is Kurosaki-san?"

"He'll be here, soon, he had to get some stuff from his house," she replied, not really wanting to mention that, before she'd left, he had also been hanging out with Orihime. Knowing Urahara, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to make some sort of joke on the subject.

"Ah, here he comes." Urahara murmured as he walked up to stand beside the tall red headed girl. A scowling Ichigo was slowly making his way down the street, his hand in his pockets, his vivid orange hair glistening in the late afternoon sun. An overnight bag was hooked over his shoulder, and each step it took it hit his leg and would slide off of his shoulder a little. "Welcome, Kurosaki-san! How are your wounds?" Urahara asked, and without warning Ichigo dropped his bag and ripped open his shirt. Urahara smirked over at Hiori, who was now beat red. He was much more toned than she had exspected.

"Recovered." he said simply, beinding down and picking up his overnight bag again. His eyes fell on Hiori, who still looked exceedingly embarrassed, and he raised his eyebrows. "What's with you? You better not be sick," he scolded, frowning slightly as he took in Hiori's feverish appearance, which only served to fluster Hiori further.

"Oh, she isn't sick, Kurosaki-san, she-" Hiori quickly covered the man's mouth with her palms, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. A confused look flickered across Ichigo's features as he he watched the two bicker in front of him.

"... Are you two done?" he muttered, and Hiori's face flushed pink once again. Urahara gave him a smile, waving his fan through the air as he ragarded the teenager thoughtfully.

"Did you tell your father?" Ichigo nodded as he took a few steps toward Urahara.

"Yeah, I said I was staying the night at a friend's." Urahara snickered, hiding half of his face behind a fan as he looked from Ichigo to Hiori.

"It... Really sounds like an excuse to do the 'Hanky Panky'," he murmured, and this time both Ichigo and Hiori turned an unpleasant shade of red. "I feel uneasy."

"DIE." they said together, casting demonic glares in Urahara's direction. He chuckled, turning away from the flustered teens behind him.

"So, shall we begin?" Hiori nodded, stepping forward, but pausing as Ichigo doubled over in a formal bow.

"Please teach me well!" Urahara gave him a look of surprise, tapping his lips thoughtfully against the edge of his fan.

"Is... Something wrong?" he asked, almost speechless from Ichigo's sudden outburst.

"Nope. Nothing." Ichigo muttered, and Hiori glanced over at him to meet his eyes. An awkward sort of half smile moved the corners of his mouth. "Please teach us well."

Summer vacation had begun.

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><p>"Whoa! What is this place?" Hiori rolled her eyes as Urahara continued to yell, feigning surprise, as if he weren't entirely satisfied with their reactions. "I didn't know there was such a huge ass cavity beneath that shop!" he called.<p>

"Shut up, Urahara," she muttered, and Ichigo crossed his arms, clearly not amused with Urahara's antics.

"We're already surprised, you don't have to bother screaming it out." Ichigo said, crossing his arms and leaning up against the ladder down which they had just climed. Urahara chuckled childishly, hiding half of his face behind his fan in an unnervingly flirtatious manner.

"That's right, there's no need for me to hide this study hall..." he said, apparently ignoring Ichigo's scolding. "It is a masterpiece created by chic swankiness from our hyper-technology, and I completed it all in one day and one night for you, Kurosaki-san!" he chimed excitedly, apparently still underwhelmed by the mood of the two teenagers.

"Does this guy often ignore customers and go on rants?" Hiori asked, glancing up at the burly man standing on her left. He said nothing, but she figured that was as good of a reply as she was going to get from him.

"I even painted the ceiling like a sky to alleviate your sense of frustration!" Urahara said, pointing towards the ceiling. Ichigo glanced upwards, apparently not having noticed before then.

"I see you have the same ideas that they have in jail." Hiori dead panned, earning a sudden glower from the usually light hearted man.

"You're so cold, Hitsugaya-san! Look, I even planted trees to hydrate your soul!"

"Did you consider hydrating _them_?" she replied snarkily, eyeing the whithered and dying trees that scattered the otherwise barren ground. He continued to ignore her comments, instead smiling triumphantly to himself.

"To do this much in secret in the underground beneath all these roads and houses, well sure I broke a bone or two..." Hiori was finding it difficult whether he was threatening them or congratulating himself. He was such a difficult person to read.

"I'm not sure what you're on about, but isn't that illegal?" Ichigo asked, suddenly crouching down and stretching his legs. "Not that I care. You're the one who said he didn't have time, so let's hurry up with this 'study session' of yours."

"Well, well. What an admirable spirit- Let's start with you, Hitsugaya-san." he said fondly, and before Hiori had a chance to react she felt the tip of his cane pass through her skull, and a sudden, ripping pain coursed through her as her soul was ripped away from her body. She cringed, dropping to the ground and clutching her stomach- It felt as if she was having horrible cramps. "It's painful isn't it, Hitsugaya-san?" Urahara asked as she continued to bite back groans of pain.

"It never hurt when that happened to me," Ichigo said, eyeing Hiori with concern as she doubled over.

"That is because you have been inhabiting a real body." Urahara replied, stepping closer to Hiori where she crouched on the ground. "But when you have been inhabiting a Gigai for so long, as Hitsugaya-san has been, tearing away from it the first time can be rather painful." he explained, reaching down and scooping Hiori up by her armpits. Her knees trembled slightly, and she had to work to keep herself up right. Ichigo was eyeing her strangely, and she looked down, finally noticing what she was wearing.

"What the hell is this!" she asked, glaring down at her attire. For the most part, it looked like what Ichigo usually wore in his Shinigami form. But instead of the top being entirely connected to the bottom, only a wide strip on the black cloth on her right side connected her top to the bottoms.

"You have a tattoo?" Ichigo asked, pointing at her right side. The very top that covered her breasts still remained, the ripped edges ticking her skin just above her ribcage. The rest of her skin was left exposed, her inky black tattoo standing out proudly against her clear skin.

"Was I some kind of skank!" she yelled, still looking down in surprise at her outfit. The way she was now, she never would have thought to dress in this manner. Both Urahara and the burly man exchanged weary glances. "What?"

"Well... 'Skank' is a rather harsh way to put it, Hitsugaya-san." he murmured, and instantly Hiori's eyes widened.

"What are you saying?" she asked swiftly, and she saw Ichigo put a hand over his lips to stifle a snicker.

"Back in Soul Society, the Captains had a name for you..." Urahara said, waving his fan in front of his face yet again. Hiori raised her eyebrows, prompting him to continue. "They called you 'Hitsugaya-Hentai', I believe!" he said fondly, and Ichigo seemed to have reached breaking point, finally letting out a loud snorting noise that was the result of stifling his voice for so long. Hiori's face reddened, and she folded her arms tightly across her chest.

"Awesome." she muttered angrily, casting her eyes downward. "Just great." Urahara shrugged nonchalantly, and the man standing next to him whose name she had yet to leanr pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"People who are stressed need a release, Hitsugaya-san. And you were a very stressed out person." he explained, which only served to raise Hiori's level of embarrassment.

"So I slept around, but that's okay, though, because I was _stressed_." she said dully, meeting Urahara's eyes briefly. "That makes me feel better, thanks, Urahara-san."

"You didn't sleep around, per se, Hitsugaya-san. But you were a tease," he replied, holding up a single finger matter of factly. Ichigo snickered loudly, no longer caring if Hiori heard him or not, and she promptly elbowed him roughly in the gut. Her fingers ran over a thick red sash, whose edges were singed, which was wrapped around her waist. As Hiori reached around she felt cool metal against her fingers. "Ah. And_ that_ would be your Zanpakuto." Urahara said, pointing at her as she reached around to her back. A chilling sound reached her ears as she unsheathed the sword, and it was as though the sword was humming some sort of eerie melody. "It always did sort of freak me out."

"What? Why?" she murmured, holding the sword up to her face. The eerie melody only seemed to grow louder.

"Just that noise it always makes." Urahara replied, twirling his cane around his wrist. "It's like nails on a chalkboard." The sword was short, and would most likely only reach Hiori's hips if she put it on the ground. But it was as wide as she was, and drilled in a row all along the middle were quarter sized holes, from which the noise seemed to be emanating from. The tsuba***** was rather large, even for such a wide sword, and was shaped exactly the same way as her tattoo. Hitsugaya-san, do you know this Zanpakuto's name?" he asked curiously, stepping forward and tapping the sword gently with his fan. She shook her head, narrowing her eyes at the Zanpakuto in her hand.

"Why isn't it heavy?" she asked, tossing the sword up and down with little effort and catching the hilt in her hands. "It looks like it'd be heavy."

"A Zanpakuto is part of the weilder's soul. Therefor, it usually appears to be virtually effortless for the weilder to handle their own Zanpakuto, no matter the size." he explained, and without another word he spun his cane and shoved it straight through Ichigo's head, and a moment later his soul was also removed, his chain of fate still attatching him to his body. "Hitsugaya-san, please follow Tessai while I assist Kurosaki-san here." he instrcuted, and Hiori felt the burly man grasp her upper arm firmly. "He will be instructing you in Jinzen- I'm sure that it's very upset that you still don't know its name."

As Hiori followed Tessai over to a far corner of the cavern, a sudden crash met her ears, and she vaguely wondered what it was that Urahara was making Ichigo do. She hadn't expected to see Ichigo's soul looking so weak- She had only ever seen it in his Shinigami form, and the fact that he now had what Yoruichi had told her was known as a Chain of Fate only made her realize just how serious Kuchiki Byakuya's attack had truly been.

"Do not pay attention to that." Tessai said sternly, seating himself across from Hiori. "Now, place your Zanpakuto on your lap, Hitsugaya-san." he instructed, and Hiori did as she was told. The feeling of the cool metal seeped through the dark fabric of her hakama, soothing her tense muscles as she took a deep, calming breath. The world around her slowly began to fade, and when she opened her eyes once again, she found herself face to face with the boy who resided within her inner world.

"Hello again, Hiori." he murmured, and her eyes widened as, from thin air, he drew a Zanpakuto identical to the one she currently held in her hands. "Have you figured out my name yet?" he asked. He took a step or two towards her, and the normal feeling of comfort that she felt around the boy slowly began to vanish.

"I-I'm sorry, but I haven't," she replied, scraping her sandals against the ground as she inched farther away from the dark haired boy. He smirked, raising the sword in front of his face as he suddenly became much closer than he had been previously.

"Well. That is a shame."

And then he lunged.

* * *

><p><strong>I decided to title this chapter "Triple H" because Hiori's name (first and last) both begin with the letter H, and because the Captains used to refer to her as "Hentai" (another H) during her days in Soul Society. Thus, Triple H.<strong>

***Tsuba: is usually a round or occasionally squarish guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons, like the katana and its various declinations.**

**Hiori is introduced to a rather embarrassing part of her past, which Ichigo seems to find rather funny. This will, eventually, come back into play much later in the story- But let me be clear that her frivolous personality doesn't mean that she slept with everyone. But she won't really figure that part out until later- And she was still a tease. Her Zanpakuto spirit is slowly starting to suspect that Hiori may no longer be worthy of weilding him, and as a test he plans to fight her, which will continue in the next chapter.**

**Hiori's Zanpakuto is short, only reaching up to her hips from the ground, but is as wide as she is, with a blunt-cut tip (much like Ganju's, except larger). There are quarter-sized holes in a row all up the middle of the sword, which emit an eerie sound whenever they are met with any level of Reiryoku (you will find out what they're for later). The tsuba greatly resembles her tattoo, which is like a flower of sorts with geometrical petals that end in points. There are three on each side, and on the far left and right there are longer "petals" that, instead of ending in points, end in open-ended circles. Like Cs. **

**As for Hiori's Hakama, it appears to be ripped beyond repair, the tattered edges beginning just above her rib cage. The only part that covers her mid section that remains in on her right side, where her tattoo isn't located, and connects the top part of her hakama to the lower half (a little like Halibel's, except hers is in the back instead of the side).**

**Read and, as always, reviews are much appreciated!**


	14. P1: Crossing the Rubicon, Say Your Name

...

* * *

><p>"<em>Your transformation is not a disease. You were just given the key to the door in front of you. There's no need to know the cause. No need for sorrow or sadness. What comes next is up to you. You can use your keys to open the door...or lock it tight. And if you do choose to open it...you can still decide not to pass through."<em>

* * *

><p>Hitsugaya Hiori could not remember ever being so frightened in her life, though the legitimacy of that statement could not really be counted on. Massive killing intent blazed brightly in the blue eyes of the boy standing in front of her, and Hiori vaguely wondered how this boy, her own spirit, could possibly be so set on having her dead. He stalked forward, his hand gripping the identical Zanpakuto readily, as if he was half-expecting her to attack. Hiori couldn't help but think that whatever fight was about to ensue was going to be extremely unfair, considering the fact that she still had absolutely no idea what so ever on how to weild a sword properly.<p>

"What's your move, Hiori?" he asked, raising the large sword in front of his face. She paused, studying both his expression and his posture. Judging from the way he held himself on his legs, there was no doubt in her mind he was planning to lunge for her in the next minute or so. "You won't have me to give you instructions this time- I am your enemy."

"Look, I'm sorry I don't remember your name, but isn't this a bit extreme?" she asked, cringing as she heard her voice rise several octaves. He smirked, chuckling darkly as he took another step forward.

"Hardly," he murmured. "I'm going easy on you. At least I'm giving you a chance." Hiori opened her mouth to reply, but she was promptly cut off by the sword cutting into the rock beside her head. Her eyes widened as she scurried away- She had only just missed the blow by mere centimeters. "Is this seriously all you're going to do? How disappointing,"

Hiori felt her back press against the wall, her hand gripping the hilt of her Zanpakuto tightly. Her palms were sweating profusely, and it felt as if the sword might slip from her clutches at any moment. Suddenly, the boy's face was inches from her own, his hot breath washing over her and sending chills down her spine.

"You're slow." he whispered. Hiori reacted instinctively, moving her body in the nick of time, but still receiving a hefty gash in her side, right on top of the barely-healed scar from her brush with the Hollows the other day. She pushed him away roughly, catching her breath and clutching her side in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

What did he expect for her to do? Fight back? He should know, better than anyone, that she had no memories, much less any remnants of any previous talent that she may have once possessed. Sword wielding, Shunpo, Kido; All had been lost to her, along with memories of the girl that she had been and the people she had known. So how could this boy, who was a part of her, expect for her to be able to do much of anything in a situation like this?

"So you give up, then?" he asked, twirling the Zanpakuto effortlessly on one finger as he took a step back, observing her. "You really are very pessimistic... No. You're just lazy."

"Excuse me?" Hiori snapped, glowering up at the dark haired boy from where she crouched on the ground, her sword lay forgotten on the ground beside her. The boy smirked once again before putting on a mocking sort of expression.

"Oh, I'm Hiori, and I don't remember anything!" he sneered, prancing around, clearly trying his best to imitate her actions. Hiori's scowl only deepened, and her forehead was now beginning to hurt. "What can I do? Oh, I'm so pitiful and now I can't fight and my Zanpakuto spirit wants to kill me!" Hiori pushed herself up, groaning with both the effort and the pain, now clutching her sword tightly in her left hand. "Ichigo, save me!"

She'd had enough.

Hiori lunged, growling as she did so, the sound of metal hitting metal hitting her ears and making her cringe. Sparks flew into the air as she dragged her large blade down the identical one in front of her, and the dark haired boy was now smirking once again. She gritted her teeth with the effort it took to remain in the position, holding her sword with only one hand, as the other was still trying to quell the blood flow.

"I don't sound like that!" she growled as she pushed harder against the boy's sword.

"Do you think so?" he replied, combating the pressure she was exerting on him with a much more powerful one of his own. "Because I think you do. And so does Urahara, I might add. Even if he doesn't show it,"

"Well what else am I supposed to say?" she retorted, squeezing her eyes shut as she dug her toes into the ground. "I _don't_ remember anything! And no one will tell me what it is I need to remember! So how the hell am I supposed to get anything done?" The boy scoffed, finally breaking their connection and pushing himself away from her, scraping his feet against the ground and sending up multiple clouds of dust.

"You didn't use to be this whiny." he muttered as Hiori cast him a hate filled glare. "You used to be a hell of a lot cooler."

"Sorry to disappoint you," she retorted, rolling her eyes in distaste.

"You shouldn't look away from an opponent." Hiori turned her gaze downward once again, only to be met with the icy blue eyes of her Zanpakuto spirit, and the next moment she felt her body hurdling across the open space of her inner world. She hit the opposite wall roughly, coughing up blood as she slumped to the ground. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel it in her head, and each time she breathed it felt as though someone three times her weight was laying on her chest.

"'I can't', 'I don't remember'... What's with you?"

"Well-"

"Suck it up, you self absorbed bitch." Hiori's eyebrows raised as far as they could go. She had never heard her Zanpakuto spirit get so riled up before. "How do you expect to get any memories back if you're just moping around all the time?" Hiori cast her eyes downward- He made a good point. Now that he said it, it did seem that she was repeating the same thing over and over. 'I can't remember'. "And even if, by some miracle, you got your memories back just by sitting around, who'd wanna be friends with you? You suck."

"Fuck you." she muttered, but that only caused the instigating spirit to laugh derisively. She knew that he was right. All she did was sit around and stew in her own juice, so to speak. She couldn't remember, but throwing fits about it certainly wasn't helping. Yoruichi had continuously tried to teach her, and each time she'd shot her down and quit after an hour or so. She really did suck.

"So I'm gonna make this easy for you." he murmured, and Hiori suddenly realized that he was standing directly above of her. "I'm gonna stab you, then you're gonna wake up, and I won't be here anymore- And then you can go back to leading a pathetic human life in that stupid Gigai of yours." Hiori's gray eyes darkened. "And you can just continue liking Kurosaki Ichigo from afar, and hating Inoue Orihime- Who, by the way, is training really hard right now to go to Soul Society with Ichigo." At this, something deep within Hiori ignited. She knew he was saying these things on purpose, it didn't matter how true they were. Allowing Inoue Orihime to beat her at something like this was something she could not allow. "But that's fine. I'll just end it now, and you can-"

"Shut up!" Hiori screamed, and in one fluid motion she pushed herself upwards, no longer caring about the blood spurting out of her side. She swung her sword through the air, and the boy ducked, but not in time to avoid having several chunks of hair sliced off by the heavy blade. A dull thud met her ears, her Zanpakuto now lodged in the rock wall behind her, having been swung in a semi circle in front of her. She was breathing heavily, her shoulders heaving up and down from both the lack of blood and pain coursing through her nerves.

"Oh? Have I upset you?"

"I... Won't lose..." The boy raised his eyebrows, cocking his head expectantly and leaning in.

"Hm? What's that you just said?" Hiori raised her head slowly, gray eyes meeting blue, and with a heave of her left arm she brought her sword out of the rock and shooting forward.

"_I won't lose!_" The Zanpakuto in her hand emitted a high pitched squeal, the sound of high pitched wailing filling her ears as she brought the sword full force towards her Zanpakuto spirit. His eyes widened, and for a moment Hiori was sure that she had him. She was wrong. At the last minute he ducked, leaving only a few strands of his wild black hair behind, having been sliced off by the edges of here blade.

"Hm... It seems you're-"

"No time for talking, you!" she bellowed, and a moment later her sword came crashing down right next to him. He dodged again, and although he wore a surprised expression, he still seemed to be avoiding her attacks with relative ease. Hiori glowered, brushing her bright red hair out of her eyes. She continued to lash out, sending heavy blows at the boy every which way, but none seemed to land. Panting heavily, she backed into the wall, attempting to catch her breath before she ran out of time. The boy took a few steps closer, making several 'tsk' sounds under his breath.

"You really are weak, Hiori-chan." he teased, which got to her immediately. He smirked to himself, wondering vaguely if she knew that this was what he had been aiming for. The bottoms of her sandals scraped against the ground as she sprinted towards him, snarling and baring her teeth. With a lazy flick of the wrist the boy stopped her, crushing the blunt end of the sword against her rib cage. After the initial shock of the force of the blow, the red haired girl smirked evilly.

"What the hell was that supposed to do?" she sneered, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "The tip of the sword's blunt, you idio-" Sudden pain shot through her body, and she ceased to speak immediately. It felt as though her entire body had been punctured by enormous needles, and no matter how much she gritted her teeth, the pain refused to subside.

"Don't be so stupid as to think I wouldn't know how to use this sword properly." the boy said, his voice laced with anger. His blue eyes were no longer goading, but more cold, calculating... Disappointed. "The moment this blunt end touched your skin, water passed through the semi-permeable membrane of your skin. You should know all about that, right? You attended high school," Hiori grimaced as her knees buckled, blood spraying from multiple open wounds all over her body. "And then it turned back into ice. Pretty sneaky, don't you think?"

Hiori didn't answer, instead coughing up a fair amount of blood. The pain was almost too much to comprehend, but even through that, she forced her frantic mind to work. She had initially wondered, upon first seeing her Zanpakuto, what use it was to have a sword with a blunt-cut tip. But now she saw the use clearly- Her Zanpakuto was really quite deceitful. One's first impression upon seeing it would simply be to avoid being sliced by the edges; It was a simple enough task. An opponent who had never been up against this Zanpakuto wouldn't suspect that, hidden in the blunt tip, there was a weapon just as effective as the tip of a sword, if not more so. She had been fooled.

"It's just as I thought. You aren't worthy of wielding me," he said, bending down, now won eye level with Hiori. "Not anymore. I'm going to finish this, and then you're going to have to watch as Inoue Orihime follows Kurosaki Ichigo off to Soul Society." Hiori's gaze hardened, and the boy didn't seem to notice as her grip on her Zanpakuto's hilt tightened. "All this trouble you've put me through... I think this should be enough pay ba-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Hiori screamed, and a moment later she sent the boy flying backwards, having hit him in the gut with the flat side of her sword. "I refuse to allow that! I want my memories back! I don't want to stay here!" she yelled. She was no longer thinking, only doing, and as she leapt for the boy she heard the noise of her Zanpakuto increase ten fold. She landed on top of the boy, straddling the boy's waist as she dug the sharp edge of her sword against his collar bone.

"You actually want to remember?"

"Of course I do!" she replied, leaning closer so she could look into his eyes. They had grown softer, more understanding, and that familiar feeling of comfort was slowly seeping back inside of her.

"I never heard you say it..."

"Well, I do!"

"Do what?" Hiori glowered, pressing her sword deeper into his skin, this time drawing blood. It seemed that her Zanpakuto spirit rather enjoyed being difficult, this much she had surmised, but the fact that he was clearly the teasing type really did her head in. She was hardly one to tease another so ruthlessly. But, then again, as Urahara had said... She used to be a "tease".

"I want to remember!" she said, and she felt something sting the corners of her eyes. "Why won't you just let me?"

"It's not entirely up to me."

"You have to be able to do _something_!" she protested, now beginning to feel rather desperate. Her Zanpakuto spirit could remember everything she couldn't, of that much she was sure. So why couldn't he just magically transfer every single memory that she was missing to her? Why did it all have to be so complicated. Hiori blinked, suddenly realizing just how close the boy's face was.

"Perhaps this will enlighten you."

"Huh?" she muttered, and she finally understood as the tip of the boy's nose touched her own. "H-hey! Wait, what're you-" A pair of lips suddenly crashed into hers, and she released the hilt of her Zanpakuto immediately, no utilizing all of her strength towards pushing the dark haired boy away. She felt her face heat up, which only caused her to increase her struggles- But that all stopped once a foggy memory appeared in her mind.

It was as if she was watching some sort of weird movie trailer. Hiori herself was standing in her own mind's eye, her red hair waving slightly in the breeze. Beside her stood a familiar-looking blonde, whose face was also turned towards the rising sun. It looked as if they were speaking about something, and both wore serious expressions. The man she now recognized as Urahara took out a lengthy Zanpakuto, balancing it carefully on the palm of his hand as he continued to speak with Hiori. She wished she knew what they had been talking about.

The scene changed suddenly, and Hiori now stood in the middle of an enormous wheat field, the golden expanse seeming to continue on into infinity. Across from her stood her Zanpakuto spirit, a serene expression on his face contrasting greatly with all others she had ever seen him wear. His lips moved, and even though she could not hear, she somehow knew what he was saying.

The pair broke apart, a triumphant looking smirk now decorating the face of the boy in front of her. Hiori was panting, though she told herself repeatedly that it was absolutely not because of the kiss. Was that sort of thing even allowed- A Zanpakuto spirit coming on to its master?

"I... You..." she whispered, touching her lips. "Name..." He smiled softly, pushing his upper half up slightly and propping himself up on his elbows.

"Did that help you out any?" Hiori said nothing, but merely continued to stare into the bottomless blue pools of the boy's eyes. Finally, she felt that she could speak without stuttering, and she carefully parted her lips.

"Name..." she whispered, leaning in despite herself. The boy made no move to get closer to her, and met her gaze unwaveringly. "Say your name." The boy paused, and a stream of rocky dust fell from the top of the cubic maze, landing in his hair. The pair ignored it, instead choosing to continue to gaze into each other's eyes.

"My name, huh?" he murmured softly, and Hiori slowly nodded. Her chest was beginning to hurt, and she figured that she was most likely holding her breath. She made no move to rectify this, however, and instead just kept staring. "... **_Amaterasu_**."

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><p><strong>In this chapter, a short fight ensues, which mainly just consists of her Zanpakuto spirit goading her into fighting back. She learns several new things about her Zanpakuto itself, one being that the blunt cut tip is not as useless as it is often made out to be. After direct contact with her Zanpakuto spirit, she has two memories return to her, although she cannot hear what she or anyone else involved in said memories are saying to one another. And she finally learns her Zanpakuto's name.<strong>

**Thanks for all the reviews, they are always much appreciated!**


	15. Part 1: Flux, Flux, Flux

_"My name, huh?" he murmured softly, and Hiori slowly nodded. Her chest was beginning to hurt, and she figured that she was most likely holding her breath. She made no move to rectify this, however, and instead just kept staring. "... **Amaterasu**."_

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><p>"Just like a person holding a sword trying to protect something. That maybe one's life, or place in society, or reputation, things that one loves, things that one believes; it matters not if it's good or bad, the will to 'protect it' does not change."<p>

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><p>"Ama...terasu?" Hiori murmured, pulling away from the boy and gazing at him intently. He nodded, sitting up all the way and resting his chin on his hands. Hiori cocked her head to the side, still considering the name.<p>

"It seems strange right?" he asked, as if voicing her own thoughts. "The name 'Amaterasu' suggests that I use techniques involving light, or the sun... I use ice." Hiori continued to look confused, as if his explanation as to why it was strange had not entirely satisfied her. "That's what you were confused about, right?"

"Uh... No," she admitted, and the boy gave her a look.

"Then what?"

"It's totally a girl's name." Amaterasu paused, considering this momentarily, finally crossing his arms and glaring hard at the red haired girl sitting in front of him.

"I resent that statement." he replied finally, roughly pushing her off of him and standing up. Hiori sighed awkwardly, also getting to her feet and brushing off her hakama. She vaguely noticed that all pain had vanished, and that she was now no longer bleeding, though she decided it was best not to ask about it. Amaterasu's mood seemed to be rapidly deteriorating.

"... You just insulted me, so this may sound like sour grapes, but Hiori..." He paused, as if debating how best to say whatever it was he was thinking. Finally he shrugged. "You really do suck." Hiori gave him a dead pan look.

"You don't have to say it like that."

"You need to work on it." he continued, ignoring her previous complaint. Hiori grumbled something incoherent under her breath, shutting her eyes in annoyance. Finally settling on a witty retort, she opened her eyes, only to be met by the barren wasteland of a cavern beneath Urahara Shop. She blinked several times, getting used to the sudden change in lighting. It didn't really do much to improve her confusion, however.

"Did you talk to him, Hitsugaya-san?" A familiar voice met Hiori's ears a moment later, and she whipped her head around to meet with the jovial eyes of Urahara, who was smiling down at her. "I hope he didn't do anything... Untoward." Hiori huffed, crossing her arms and turning away. "I take it that he did?"

"He kissed me!" Hiori blurted, a look of outrage on her face. "I mean, what the hell?"

"... Yes, he does tend to do that."

"It's not okay." At this, Urahara chuckled, and Hiori cast him a suspicious look. "What?"

"It's just a little off to see that although you've changed entirely, he hasn't changed in the slightest. You two used to be exactly the same," Urahara explained, and Hiori felt her face heat up. The blonde man nodded knowingly, staring off into the distance absently for a moment before continuing. "If I remember correctly, you did such a thing to me, once."

"Ew, _what_?" Hiori squeeled, and the heat in her face increased ten fold. Urahara simply continued to smile, but Hiori was now beginning to feel much more than embarrassed. This was just humiliating.

"You used to be quite taken with me." he said matter-fo-factly, holding up his index finger as if that made it official. "Let me be clear, this was strictly one-sided. You were swiftly rejected," he explained, crossing his arms over his chest in an 'X' shape. Hiori scowled.

"... Absolutely... Not..."

"Don't feel badly. I was quite a catch," Urahara teased, which only served to make Hiori's face the exact same shade of Sangria-red as her hair. "No, no. In all honesty, it was most likely that you felt connected to me."

"That sounds gross."

"Mind out of the gutter, Hitsugaya-san," he said swiftly before picking up where he left off. "After all, aside from myself, there were only two others in Soul Society who possessed Zanpakuto spirits of the opposite sex."

"Don't say 'sex' to me, it makes me feel uncomfortable." Hiori said quickly, following Urahara with her eyes as he sat down in front of her. "So... It's normal for a Zanpakuto spirit to be the opposite gender?" she asked, attempting to steer the conversation away from her awkward apparently one-sided feelings for the jolly blonde haired man.

"Hm... I wouldn't call it _normal_, no." he replied, glancing up at the sky-painted ceiling thoughtfully. "In fact, the only other person I know of in Soul Society at the time besides ourselves in that situation was a young man by the name of Kyouraku Shunsui," he mused. "If I recall, he didn't like you too much." Hiori made a face, not really appreciating Urahara's blunt manner of speaking.

"That's nice." she snapped, glaring over at the blonde beside of her. "Wait... You were in Soul Society?" Urahara paused, giving a nervous laugh before replying.

"Ah, yes... I was." he replied, though Hiori instantly felt stupid for having asked. It should have been obvious, seeing as he knew both herself and Yoruichi, not to mention that his shop sold things that specifically catered to Shinigami. She mentally cursed herself for being so oblivious. It was quiet for a moment as the two mulled over the situation. Hiori wondered if she how close she had been to this Shunsui character, although since Urahara had said that he did not like her, she assumed "not very" would be an accurate guess.

"Hey, Urahara," Hiori muttered, now glancing around the open space. "Where's Ichigo?" She spied Jinta and Ururu running around in the distance. Tessai watched them passively from a large mound of rock, his back turned to Urahara and Hiori as if to give them some form of privacy.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san," Urahara said fondly, smiling to himself as if enjoying some personal joke. "You shouldn't be concerned with that at the present time. Just a day or two, and you shall see."

"A day or two?" Hiori repeated, glancing around and scrutinizing the wasteland. "What are you planning, Urahara-san?" He merely chuckled.

"You shall see in due course, Hitsugaya-san... But, before that, let's put Mister Amaterasu to the test, shall we?" Hiori briefly considered this suggestion, though she wasn't sure how Urahara would ever help her test her Zanpakuto. Unless he planned to defend himself with merely a cane, she could see no other weapons on him.

"Are you stupid?" she replied, standing up and placing her hands on your hips. "I'm not gonna play dumb games with you- You don't even have a Zanpakuto, so how-" Hiori's words were cut off by a loud hissing noise beside her ear. She didn't even have time to think, only to react. She felt her feet leave the ground, and the red head suddenly found herself to be yards away from the now hostile man she had been speaking to moments previously. She squinted at him, trying to see what it was that he was holding in his hands. It looked like... A sword?

"You always did have a bad habit of underestimating your opponents," Urahara said fondly as he waved his thin sword through the air. "I believe we just went over this. I do indeed possess a Zanpakuto, Hitsugaya-san." Hiori gulped. He was exactly right, and she had let her newly found confidence get the better of her. Not taking her eyes off of the slowly advancing blonde, Hiori reached behind her and once again unsheathed her sword. It felt lighter than it ever had, somehow, and she wondered if it was because she had finally beaten her Zanpakuto spirit into submission.

"Too slow, Hitsugaya-san," said a voice, and Hiori dodged just in time to see Urahara's blade cut through the rock she had just been perched on. "_**Awaken, Benihime**_." His sword suddenly changed shape, becoming wider and just a bit longer, and the hilt no longer resembled the handle of a cane. Hiori's eyes widened in shock. How the hell had he done that? "Don't tell me you don't know how to release your Shikai?"

"Of course I do, don't be stupid!" she muttered, glaring daggers at Urahara before glancing down at her sword. It seemed the thing was a little more trouble than it was worth; A never ending puzzle of names and abilities that she had absolutely no recolection of.

"Well, luckily for you, your Zanpakuto has many different abilities even in its sealed state." Urhara explained as he took a step towards her. "It's a very interesting weapon." Hiori arched an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

"You see, Hitsugaya-san, there are several different... Let's call them 'Levels'... That your Zanpakuto can take on." he explained. Hiori nodded, showing that she understood, though internally she was cursing repeatedly at her Zanpakuto spirit's failure to explain anything remotely useful to her during her time inside of her inner world. "Right now, your Zanpakuto is in its sealed state. In most cases, the sealed state is rather small, though that isn't always the case; Merely the most common. And most of the time, while sealed, it only acts as your basic katana would."

"What, so mine's abnormal?" she asked, frowning slightly. It would sure explain a hell of a lot. Amaterasu didn't really seem like a normal guy... Spirit... Entity... Whatever.

"Hm, in a manner of speaking, I suppose." he replied, and Hiori's grip on her sword tightened as he took another step towards her. "Though its abilities in Shikai are marvelous. Nothing on Benihime, though."

"Benihime?" Hiori asked, casting her gaze over at the sword held in Urahara's hands. He smiled, lifting it up and pointing at it.

"Yes, Benihime. She's not very nice. As I recall, she and Amaterasu do not get along," he explained. Hiori was beginning to wonder if anyone's spirits were 'very nice'. She knew for a fact hers certainly wasn't. A tease, yes. A molester? Possibly. Maybe even a bit of a sadist. Definitely not nice, though.

'I heard that.' a voice said, and Hiori jumped despite herself.

"Ack!" Hiori cried, falling back and staring, wide eyed, at her Zanpakuto. Urahara raised his eyebrows, which were barely visible under the wide brim of his hat. "What the hell!"

'You look pretty stupid right now. Just an FYI.'

"Fuck you!" Urahara's eyebrows raised, if possible, even higher.

'... Seriously?'

Hiori's scowl deepened immensely, and Urahara chuckled to himself. "What a scary face, Hitsugaya-san." he said jovially. "Amaterasu didn't used to give you this much trouble."

'That's because new Hiori blows.'

"Shut up!" she yelled, standing up and brushing off the back of her hakama. Her Zanpakuto lay on the ground, no longer emitting the eerie noises that it usually did. Hiori frowned thoughtfully, bending over and picking it up. No sooner had her hand touched the hilt did the familiarly eerie ringing noise pick up once again. She ran her eyes over the blade, trying to find the source of the noise. Her best guess would be the quarter sized holes running along the middle, though she saw nothing on the sword that could cause such a noise to be made.

"That is one of Amaterasu's more unique abilities," Urahara explained, and Hiori jumped a bit, having temporarily forgotten that he was standing there at all. "Though it is quite unnecessary, in my opinion."

"What is it?" Hiori inquired, curiosity getting the better of her despite the incessant snickering in her head, which no doubt belonged to Amaterasu himself.

"One of Amaterasu's ablities, while sealed, is to emit that noise when met with any level of Reiryoku," he explained. "But the noise changes depending on the wielder's intent." Hiori's mind instantly traveled back to her little scuffle within her inner world, where her sword had been pracitcally screaming as if an entire hoard of tortured souls had been trapped inside of it. The very thought sent shivers down her spine. While fighting, she hadn't really paid it any attention, but now she could clearly remember the sound. "Someone once said that it was sort of your handicap- People could always hear you coming."

"Who said that?" Hiori replied, but Urahara only gave her a not-so informative reply.

"He was the Captain of the fifth devision." he explained, and Hiori put her free hand on her hip, casting a sour look in the blonde man's direction.

"That tells me nothing."

"Even if I told you his name, you wouldn't remember it," Urahara countered, which shut Hiori up immediately. She had never before been so unhappy with her life- And it wasn't as if it had been bad, to begin with. But no longer being able to remember names, faces, places, and events that had, at one point, been such a huge part of her life was now becoming increasingly difficult to bear. "So. Let's get started, shall we?"

"Wait, I-" Hiori began, backing up swiftly, but she was forced to raise her Zanpaputo and block the blow from Benihime instead. The noise being emitted from Hiori's Zanpakuto increased, and she wondered if her Reiryoku was really becoming that powerful. Urahara was surprisingly strong, despite his thin physique. Hiori ground her teeth fiercly, pushing against Urahara's Zanpakuto with all of the force she could muster- Though it didn't seem to be doing much. The metal ground against metal, sending sparks flying through the air, and Hiori finally was forced to parry the blow and use Shunpo to get away from her opponent.

"You're out of practice, Hitsugaya-san."

"No shit." Hiori seethed, gripping Amaterasu's hilt. "What am I even supposed to be accomplishing?"

"I want you to knock my hat off, of course."

"Oh, yes." Hiori retorted, rolling her eyes. "Of course." He said it as though it were obvious.

"You're going to have to figure out how to release your Shikai if you want to accomplish anything," Urahara said, and it sounded as though he were taunting her, although he kept his face completely stoic. "It shouldn't be too hard if you already know his name."

Before Hiori knew it she was once again on the defensive, straining her muscles to fend off Urahara's attack. The eerie whine of Amaterasu filled her ears, and she suddenly felt her head become light, airy... Feathery. Her own face filled her subconscious, though she thought that she looked a considerable amount younger. She parted her lips, grasping her Zanpakuto both in her memory and in the present.

"_**Thaw... Amaterasu****!**_"

Urahara grunted under his breath, pushed away by the sudden increase in size of Hiori's Zanpakuto. It was now as tall as she was, and running through the blade was a long, jagged cut, which nearly split the sword all the way in two. The tip was no longer blunt, and now bore a painful looking point, which looked as though it would prove to be quite torturous if caught beneath the skin. It was almost barb-like.

"... It's been a while since I saw that," Urahara muttered, raising Benihime in front of his face in preparation for an attack. "So. What next, Hitsugaya-san?" Hiori didn't even have to think about it. It was as though the act of fighting with this sword was engrained into her body, her soul. Impossible to forget, even if the memories of ever having used it had vanished long ago. Every muscle within her body tensed, and the palms of her hands were starting to hurt from the force with which she gripped her sword.

Urahara's eyes widened. Perhaps he had underestimated her, but he had never expected her to get the hang of her Shikai's techniques to quickly. He wondered vaguely what Amaterasu had said to her during her time within her inner world- She no longer sat around and whined about not remembering. Perhaps Amaterasu's harshness and crass behavior was exactly what the stubborn red head needed. "You really should pay more attention, Urahara-san." Hiori murmured, drawing him out of his musings. His eyes came to settle on the crack down the middle of her Zanpakuto, where blue energy was slowly forming. "This sword allows one to make their Reiryoku visible, doesn't it, Urahara-san?" He gave no reply, and instead chose to raise Benihime in front of him. "_**Flux**_." she whispered.

"**_Nake*, Benihime!_**" Urahara said quickly, letting the blood red energy spill from his Zanpakuto in an attempt to counter Hiori's sudden attack. But it was as if the blue Reiryoku had a mind of its own, dodging around the wall of red and heading straight for Urahara. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. It was inevitible- Control of such a technique was dificult, as Hiori had told him countless times before. A rush of wind swept over him, and he felt his hair rustle as his green and white hat was removed from his head. He blinked several times, glancing over his shoulder, spying his hat, which was smoking where it lay on the ground. "... Impressive, Hitsugaya-san."

The carmine haired girl across from him was breathing heavily, her arms sagging in a way that suggested the weight of her Zanpakuto was too much for her, though Urahara knew better. Urahara could clearly recall Hiori's many explanations of her various techniques. One of her favorite passtimes had been talking to him, even when she knew it annoyed him sometimes. As Captain of the twelfth division, Urahara couldn't help but be interested in the Zanpakuto known as Amaterasu. The many different tehcniques that came along with Amaterasu were interesting, and although none of them would have ever really helped him develop new technologies, he couldn't help but be curious.

"Urahara-san..." Hiori breathed, drawing Urahara out of his thoughts. "Could... Could you answer me one question?" Urahara hummed to himself, sealing Benihime back inside of his cane and bending over to pick up his hat, which now had a black edged hole running straight through from the front to the back. It seemed that, even if Amaterasu was an ice-centric Zanpakuto, using Hiori's Reiryoki seemed to produce heat. He sighed, placing his ruined hat back on his head. He hated to thin what Ichigo would do to it once he got out of that hole.

"Possibly." he replied, and Hiori's eyebrows knit together in frustration. "It all depends on the question. Though I'd say that you deserve at least one answer." Hiori nodded slowly as her Zanpakuto seemed to be whisked away in the wind, as if it had been covered in some sort of shroud, the black specks flying away to leave its sealed form in its place.

"... What does it mean... To have Hollow powers?"

"I apologize, Hitsugaya-san." he replied finally, shutting his eyes tiredly and moving his face to look at the sky painted ceiling "But that is an answer for another time."

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><p><strong>In this chapter, we get a look into Urahara and Hiori's relationship before Hiori lost all of her memories. Again, let me say, it was strictly one sided- YoruichixUrahara all the way. I also decided to add and explain a few techniques that Hiori can use in both the sealed state of her Zanpakuto and her Shikai (one technique her Shikai uses you were introduced to in the Preface). The idea that Hiori's Zanpakuto provides her with a strange sort of handicap in battles was partially taken from Kenpachi's different handicaps that he gives himself while fighting, like his eyepatch and bells. <strong>

***Nake: Sing. It's one of Urahara's Shikai abilities.**

**The ability 'Flux' is really the only technique of Amaterasu's that I introduce in this chapter. It draws Hiori's Reiryoku into the jagged split down the middle and sends it at the opponent, and is directed by the user's will. Despite the Zanpakuto's ice techniques, this technique seems to burn, but that's only because it is pure Reiryoku. **

**Thanks for all of the reviews, they're always much appreciated!**


	16. Part 1: Melancholy and Fireworks

_..._

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><p>"Heart and soul are connected. What is important is... Where is the heart?"<p>

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><p>Sunny afternoon sun was blazing brightly on Karakura town. Several days had passed since the return of Ichigo's Shinigami powers, and soon the group of five young high schoolers, plus a very sassy black cat, would be venturing into relatively unknown territory. They would be invading Soul Society to retrieve the one Kuchiki Rukia, inevitably saving her from impending execution. Hiori knew that she should be happy. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest with the return of her powers- And her renewed connection with her estranged Zanpakuto spirit, Amaterasu. So she knew that the feeling that she should be <em>feeling<em> was one of happiness.

But instead, that weight that had been lifted had been replaced by guilt, fear, and some third feeling that even Hiori herself could not describe. She wasn't even sure that it was a 'feeling'. More like a constant... Knawing on her subconscious, as if something had been awoken deep within her that had been repressed for quite some time. No matter how hard she thought, Hiori couldn't think of so much as one plausible theory as to what it could be.

The sullen red head slipped on a pair light blue jeans, the faded blue denim contrasting well with her deep red hair. Reaching into her closet, Hiori pulled out a black tube top- Slightly more scandelous than her normal attire, but the forecast called for unusually hot weather, something that the rest of her wardrobe wasn't too well suited for. A sudden tap on her windows alerted her that she was being watched, and she instantly whipped her head around, spying a sly purple haired woman smirking at her from the other side of the glass.

"Hey there, Hiori," she said cheerily, jumping into her room a moment after the window was opened. Hiori made an incoherent noise in the back of her throat, apparently distracted. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow in confusion, eyeing Hiori as she stared down at her heavily bandaged fingers. "What happened there?"

"I..." Hiori began, murmuring as quietly as possible. Had the house not been so peacefully quiet, Yoruichi may not have even been able to hear her. "I... Got in the way." Hiori bit her lip, casting her eyes downward and crossing her arms over her chest in apparent embarrassment. Her fingers were stinging painfully, but Hiori bit back her noises of discomfort; It had been her own fault, after all.

After Ichigo had finally managed to emerge from the hole Urahra had stuck him in for a little over three days, Urahara had almost immediately engaged him in a fight. Of course, being the meddlesome idiot that he was, Urahara had foolishly attempted to get Hiori involved as well. And in the small scuffle, Hiori had gotten in the crossfire of Ichigo's newly discovered power. Had Urahara not activated Benihime's "blood shield" technique, Hiori suspected that she may have lost her whole hand. Luckily, she had managed to get by with only losing the very tip of her middle finger, though she still had several deep gashes all along her hand. If you looked closely at several of them, she was sure that you could see the bone. Needless to say, she had loaded up with pain killers the minute she got home. That was one of the many downsides to being a Shinigami with a human body- Even if you returned, the wounds still followed you. And, as Hiori had found, the pain increased ten fold.

"... That isn't all that's bothering you." Yoruichi said after a few moments silence. "Is it?" Hiori stayed quiet for another several minutes, slipping on a pair of plain brown sandals. Even though she was well aware that Yoruichi had been living with her for at least two years, she still found it remarkable how well the dark skinned cat-woman could read her. Being weak, and being in the way... That wasn't all that was bothering her, though that was a significant portion of it.

After treating her wounds and finishing Ichigo's training in the basics, they had returned to the surface of Urahara Shop. Ichigo had gone home first, giving Hiori an apologetic sort of wave before sliding the door shut behind him, leaving both she and Urahara on their own. After a considerable amount of teasing from Urahara, followed by an extremely half assed apology for being partly (well, mostly, actually, but Urahara conveniently overlooked this) to blame for Hiori's hand injury, their discussion had taken an unpleasant, much more serious turn. In the end, Urahara had left Hiori with a series of ominous parting words...

_"Oh, and Hitsugaya-san? You should take care to prepare yourself... For the minute that you return to Soul Society, Arisawa Tatsuki will no longer remember you."_

"It's nothing, Yoruichi." she said finally, trying her hair into a ponytail high on her head. "Really. I'm totally fine." Yoruichi made to respond, but before she could get so much as a word out, Hiori slammed the door behind her and made her way down to the kitchen.

A familiar face met her at the base of the stairs, dark spiky hair bouncing as she walked briskly over to her. Tatsuki was dressed in her usual t-shirt-and-jeans combo, and Hiori couldn't help but chuckle upon realizing that both of their right hands (or arms, in Tatsuki's case, but they both had bandages) had been injured. Tatsuki seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as she held Hiori's hand up on eye level.

"Seriously, Hiori, are you in a gang?" she asked as they left the house, locking the front door behind them. Hiori laughed softly, stuffing her uninjured hand into the pocket of her jeans.

"Yes, yes I am." Hiori replied sarcastically. Tatsuki rolled her eyes as Hiori tossed her right arm over her shoulders while they walked. "A really horrible gang,"

"That's not funny, it actually seems plausible." Tatsuki said, frowning. "All of those wounds you've been getting... There's no way in hell it's just from falling down. I'm not stupid, you know." Hiori pursed her lips, nodding rather numbly as she took Tatsuki's words to heart. She wasn't stupid. Hiori knew that. But being smart wouldn't help. Smart, stupid, mentally deficient, it didn't matter. No sooner had she crossed through Senkaimon would all of Tatsuki's memories of her vanish. As far as Hiori knew, the Arisawas were the only family that she had. And they would all be forgetting her, much too soon for her liking. After Urahara had hit her with this enormous metaphorical bombshell, Hiori had asked who else would be forgotten; Ichigo? Chad? Orihime? Truthfully, it seemed as though the answer Urahara had given her was, if pssible, more devestating than what he had first told her.

_"No one. None of them... You are the only one of that group, aside from Yoruichi, who has ever lived in Soul Society. You aren't meant to be here, Hitsugaya-san. The human world is not your real home. Soul Society is... And once you return, all memories of you in this world will cease to exist. You will cease to exist anywhere other than Soul Society."_

"-ori? Hiori!" Tatsuki's troubled voice drew Hiori out of her musings, and she looked down to meet with her eyes. "Promise me you're at least being careful!" Hiori laughed at the irony of it, earning herself a frown from her foster sister. Throwing yourself into a world full of people set on killing you could hardly be classified as "being careful".

"If course I am." Hiori replied finally, and Tatsuki seemed satisfied.

"Good. Anyways, we're meeting Orihime and Chad halfway there," she began, and Hiori gave a splutter of annoyance. "Suck it up."

* * *

><p>"I finished five games in ten days!" The whiny voice of Keigo was the first thing to greet Hiori's ears, as she, Chad, Orihime and Tatsuki made their way towards Ichigo's group.<p>

"You have a lot of potential for games, don't you?" Ichigo deadpanned, though his eyes widened slightly once he spotted the familiar red head opposite him.

"Eh? Ichigo, what're you-" Keigo was cut off by Tatsuki roughly kicking him in the back.

"Outta my way!" she yelled, and the brunette boy emitted the strangest noise Hiori had ever heard in all her life. Keigo hit the ground, still moaning, and Tatsuki greeted both Ichigo and Mizuiro as though nothing had happened. "Hi!"

"Arisawa! Inoue!" Mizuiro said, apparently leaving out both Chad and Hiori, who exchanged glances. Both seemed to be thinking along the same lines- If you didn't speak enough, or you didn't have huge tits, you were ignored, it seemed.

"Oh? That's rare, even Chad came." Ichigo muttered, his gaze falling on Hiori, who met his eyes nervously. "Ah... Hey, Hiori." She nodded, waving a little before realizing she had done so with her injured hand, which she quickly hid behind her back- A detail which seemed to go unnoticed by the more than oblivious carrot top. "Hey, Tatsuki, what happened to your arm?" Hiori frowned.

"That's nice." she muttered under her breath, and Chad cast a troubled look in her direction as Tatsuki launched into her lengthy explanation as to how exactly she had come to acquire her broken arm. This explanation inevitably lead to the unanimous outburst of-

"RUNNER UP?"

"Runner up is... Second place in the high school competition..." Ichigo murmured, now eyeing Tatsuki with what looked like a mixture of aprehension and intimidation. Hiori snickered from her place behind Ichigo, though she had not strayed from Chad's side. He was quiet, but understanding, and he didn't dare question Hiori on her awkward situation with Ichigo.

"That's right!" Tatsuki said, frowning angrily at the ground. "But I really am angry! If I hadn't been injured, then I would have been champion!"

"Leave it to you to not be happy with being named the second strongest female high school student in Japan," Hiori sneered, and as a retort Tatsuki stuck out her tongue.

"You'd be disappointed, too!" she replied, pointing an accusatory finger in Hiori's direction. "Working so hard, only to get second place."

"Correction, I'd be fine with even eighth place, because I have no hope of ever getting within the top three," Hiori countered, and Tatsuki punched her playfully in the shoulder, though even when being playful, it still hurt quite a bit. Hiori just decided to grin and bare it. She didn't have much longer to appreciate Tatsuki's punches... Even if she never really had before.

"However, for your arm to break... What kind of fucked up monster is the champion?" Ichigo asked suddenly, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his index finger. Hiori couldn't help but agree- Anyone who could mess Tatsuki up this badly had to be a great deal taller than her, not to mention muscley... Or maybe 'she' had secretly been a 'he'. One could only wonder.

"You misunderstood- I didn't break it in the competition," Tatsuki began. "After making it to Best Eight I went to buy some juice, and I got hit by a car... Then, I finally used my left arm to take out the semi-final opponent, but the final opponent was an ape looking woman..." Out of habit, Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances while snickering at Mizuiro and Keigo's reaction, though after a moment Ichigo turned away, the pair reverting back to their normal awkward state.

The fireworks that the group had all met up to see weren't schedualed to happen for another couple hours, and the group had settled on walking and chatting to pass the time. Tatsuki was speaking avidly with Orihime, and Keigo and Mizuiro were both talking loudly about girls. Neither were conversations which Hiori was interested in partaking in. Chad was as silent as ever, though he was walking with both Keigo and Mizuiro. This left both Ichigo and Hiori leading the pack, walking side by side, hands in their pockets, eyes averted.

"... Sorry, Ichigo." Hiori murmured, finally managing to remove whatever lump had been clogging her throat, impeding her from speaking what so ever for the past hour and a half of walking.

"What?"

"I-I said sorry, okay!" Hiori repeated, her cheeks now coated in a light shade of pink, which she could only pray that Ichigo would fail to notice. "I just wanted to say that I was sorry." The orange haired teen scowled heavily, meeting Hiori's eyes, which caused her to almost trip on her own feet.

"What the hell- You aren't supposed to do that." he said angrilly, and thankfully the rest of the group was still absorbed in their own conversations. Otherwise, Hiori feared they would instead choose to listen in on theirs. And that could only be defined as an embarrassing experience. "I couldn't control my Zanpakuto. It was my bad... Sorry."

"Like I said... I'm sorry." Hiori said resolutely, crossing her arms and glancing up at the sky. Ever since her days spent in the cavern beneath Urahra Shop, every time she looked at the sky she couldn't help but think of Soul Society. Her home. She was going to see her home again... "I should have been more prepared-"

"That's stupid. Even I wasn't prepared for _that_." Ichigo frowned, copying Hiori's movements and crossing his arms. "Besides, who we should really be blaming is that damned Getta-Boushi. He dragged you into that mess in the first place."

"... Yeah. He's a fucking idiot." Hiori conceded, nodding her head in approval of Ichigo's statement. "Although I should have been quicker to react... I feel like I'm really going to get in the way in Soul Society." she mummbled, casting her eyes back to check, once again, that nobody was listening.

"Yeah... Maybe."

"Hey!" Hiori blurted, rather loudly, causing Chad to glance up from where he was walking with Keigo and Mizuiro. "Not okay, you're supposed to say 'No, Hiori, you would never get in the way'!"

"The hell kind of fluffy Shojo manga did you get that line out of!" Ichigo retorted. He and Hiori were now going head to head, both equally as frustrated as the other. "Like hell I'd ever say that!"

"It's not fluffy, id-i-ot!" Hiori chided, prodding him roughly in the chest. "It's nice! _Nice!_"

"I don't do nice,"

"Clearly!" Hiori paused, suddenly noticing the eerie silence behind them. Orihime was staring at the pair of them in the oddest way possible, with a slightly slack jawed expression, though her face was flushed as if she had just stumbled into the middle of a lover's quarrel. By the expressions on Keigo and Mizuiro's faces, apparently she had. Tatsuki, as usual, was first to break the silence.

"Well." she said huffily, placing her uninjured hand on her hip. "If _you two_ are done with this weird game of sexual 'one upmanship', we should really start trying to find a place to see the fireworks." Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances, which were quickly followed by a loud outburst from a very embarrassed red head.

"Sexual one upmanship? As if!" she retorted, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her foster sister. "What the hell is that, anyways?" Orihime turned an even darker shade of pink, and Hiori let it go. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know, judging by Orihime's expression. "Whatever." She turned back to Ichigo, but he was now surrounded by Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad. Keigo was saying reassuring words, such as 'Don't let Hitsugaya bully you' and 'She can't make you do things you don't want to do'. Hiori shuddered. This was just disgusting, not to mention humiliating. And by 'disgusting', she was referring to the rather lewd expression on Keigo's face.

"... You four. Where are we watching fireworks?" Tatsuki asked again, referring to the huddle of boys standing behind Hiori. "We'll watch them without you if you can't decide."

"They're at the opposite bank, in front of the gymnasium, I think..." Keigo said.

"If we don't go closer, we won't see them." Mizuiro interjected, but Tatsuki had already taken her seat by the river to the group's right, resolutely staring up at the sky.

"Uh... I think here should be just fine." she said, and Hiori shrugged, joining the dark haired tom boy and stretching herself out on the cool grass. "If we go too close, there's too many people and stores."

"Too crowded," Hiori affirmed, nodding her head contentedly. Apparently, Keigo took great offense to this sentiment.

"Is this what a teenager should be saying!" he roared, causing both Hiori and Tatsuki to snap out of their short-lived peacefulness. "This is a festival! Nose-bleeds when looking at girls wearing kimonos who've come to see fireworks! That's what it's all about! What are you three doing- You're all wearing normal clothes! Did you even want to participate?" he yelled, referring to Orihime, Tatsuki and Hiori, who was frowning and glaring in Keigo's direction.

"What a good way to convince us to participate," she grumbled, and Keigo paled slightly under her murderous gaze. "Sorry, but I don't particularly want to be the source of _your_ nose-bleed." she said snarkily, though this seemed to have the reverse affect on Keigo that she had wanted. A creepy sneer had now come over him, and he wrapped his arm tightly around Ichigo's shoulders.

"How 'bout for Ichigo, huh?" he asked encouragingly. Ichigo promptly elbowed him in the gut.

"No thanks."

"What he said."

Keigo seethed in between the two groups of teenagers, girls and boys divided, and Ichigo rolled his eyes impatiently. Sometimes, he really wondered why he even hung out with these people. Chad stood stoically behind him, apparently oblivious to the tension in the air. Hiori sighed, giving Ichigo an apologetic look with her eyes before settling on something else in the distance- Something that made her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Ah, Ichigo, I think-"

"YOU WERE RIGHT!" cried a voice, and Ichigo instantly jumped in surprise before being tackled by his family members.

"Nii-san!"

"ICHIGO!"

"Nii-san!"

A moment later, the four of them went tumbling down the side of the embankment. Hiori and Tatsuki exchanged tired glances, apparently having had enough of wild people's antics for one day. Orihime looked surprised, and a little more worried than necessary. Keigo was just laughing much too loudly. After arguing for several minutes about drunk little girls (Tatsuki and Hiori had a brief discussion about Ichigo's father's more than irresponsible outlook on parenthood), Ichigo finally managed to drag his family back up to the street. However, this did little to improve the situation.

"We went to save a seat at the bank at seven in the morning!" Isshin said loudly, giving Keigo and Mizuiro the thumbs up as his daughters giggled ceaslessly. Hiori patted Ichigo on the arm in attempted consolation, but it did little to improve his mood. "Originally, I wanted a boat, but the police could watch from there!"

"... Why won't he just get caught and go to jail?" Ichigo muttered angrily, and Hiori laughed quietly. Sometimes, she really did question whether or not Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Ichigo were actually blood related. Maybe he had picked up the wrong child in the hospital by mistake- They were absolutely nothing alike, both in looks as well as in personality.

"Cute girls over there, wanna come!" he asked excitedly, and Ichigo's scowl only deepened.

"We'll go later." Tatsuki said quickly, though it was obviously a lie. Isshin didn't seem to pick up on her untruthfulness, however, and merely gave her another thumbs up.

"Wu! Got it! Let's go kids- Head to our destination!" And with that, Ichigo's father took off with almost all of Ichigo's companions in his wake.

"I see why you don't have many people over to your house," Hiori mused, and Ichigo flicked her on the forehead lightly.

"Shut up." he muttered before sighing heavily. Stretching his arms behind his head, he walked slowly after his father and the rest of his group. "I guess it can't be helped... I should go. Tatsuki, Hiori... Really sorry to bother you all this time. If you don't wanna come, it's fine."

"Believe me, we don't." Hiori stated, and Ichigo sent her a glare, though it was mostly in good humor.

"We know, we know." Tatsuki said, waving Ichigo away in a 'Shoo, Shoo' manner with her free hand. "Just go on ahead, we'll go eventually." Ichigo nodded, rounding the corner and leaving the three girls all alone. Tatsuki turned to Orihime, who was now standing on the grassy river bank. Hiori suddenly felt very out of place- She knew that this was Tatsuki and Orihime's 'special place'. They came here every Autumn.

"It's been a while since we've been here..." Orihime began, stretching out her arms as Tatsuki joined her in the grass. Hiori's eyes softened as she watched the two girls converse, and night was slowly beginning to settle over Karakura town. Their voices were quickly drowned out by the noises of crickets, drawn out by the warm Summer air, as Hiori increased the distance between herself, her sister, and Inoue Orihime. Where she was going was a place that Tatsuki couldn't... And Tatsuki's memories of her foster sister were ones that she could not keep. Hiori glanced up, looking past the hoards of bright yellow firefly lights, and watching with awe as the fireworks burst in the sky.

"Orhime will come back for her..." she whispered to herself, squinting against the bright light of the fireworks. "Orihime is the only one that Tatsuki needs to remember."

* * *

><p><strong>So, this chapter is a little less serious, but also a little more sad. Mostly based around 'The Last Summer Vacation' chapter in the manga. I actually really liked that part, because it signifies everyone involved acccepting what they have to do, which is what I tried to show Hiori was doing, here, as well. Sorry that I skipped over Ichigo coming back with his Shinigami powers, I just didn't really want to have a chapter that was too... Ichigo-centric, I guess is the word.<strong>

**Akke: It is absolutely a good thing to feel HiorixAmaterasu! When I first came up with Amaterasu, I was actually considering pairing them together, but I then decided that it just... Couldn't really work out. But I still wanted that couple-ish vibe to be there. So it is definitely good that you like HiorixAmaterasu! And, just so you know, just because they won't end up together absolutely doesn't mean there will not be any good AmaOri moments! BE PREPARED. P.S. For some weird reason, FF deletes your full username whenever I type it...**

**Ookami-no-Seirei: Thanks for the review! Kyouraku mostly dislikes Hiori for petty, competitive-ish sort of reasons, though specifics will be revealed later in the Soul Society arc. Thanks so much for the review!**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, it really means a lot, and they're always much appreciated! **


	17. Part 1: Senkaimon, Dangai, Soul Society

_..._

* * *

><p>"A warrior who has lost his strength will only get in the way."<p>

* * *

><p>"One o'clock, a.m... That <em>is<em> what he said, right?"

Hiori had been peering anxiously out of her window for a good ten minutes, an act that was seriously starting to piss off the large black cat, which was seated lazily on her pillow. The sangria-haired girl was bobbing her knees anxiously up and down as she sat, cross legged, on top of her bed, though doing so was making her feel no less antsy. Urahara had instructed her to open her window at one a.m. It was now one eleven. She had taken all this trouble to set three alarms so that she could actually ensure that she would be awake for this, and for what? For Urahara to be the one who was late.

"Ah." Yoruichi said suddenly, and Hiori snapped her head around just in time to see a large, canonball-like object come hurtling through her open window; She barely had time to dodge. It hit the opposite wall with a loud thud, and for a moment she waited with baited breath, half-expecting for Tatsuki to come storming into her room. A moment later, she couldn't help but feel an immense feeling of relief- Urahara's message was hardly subtle.

"What the _fuck_ is this?" Hiori grumbled, glaring at her now blood spattered walls. At least, it looked like blood. The message itself was fairly straightforward: Please meet at Urahara Shop immediately. But the way it was written sent chills down Hiori's spine. "I feel like I'm seeing a message from the beyond before I-" she took a moment to read the rest of the message, which said 'And for those of you who think this looks like the message of someone before his death... Then you have no sense of humor'. "God dammit, Urahara!" she growled, making a mental note to yell at the smug blonde man as soon as she saw him.

Careful to stay as quiet as possible, Hiori slipped into a pair of loose fitting sweatpants, choosing them for their pockets and comfort. She paused, her hand lingering for a moment in her closet before pulling out a black long sleeved shirt. She was quiet for a few moments before slipping it on, noting how it was a bit too tight and much too short- There was a good two and a half inches of exposed skin between the hem of her shirt and her sweatpants, but she shook the feeling of discomfort away. She had borrowed the shirt from Tatsuki a little over a year ago, and Tatsuki being a decent amount shorter than her, it was only to be expected that the shirt would be too small. But she couldn't take it off.

"You need to hurry up," Yoruichi muttered, stretching as she spoke. "Notice how this creepy message says 'immediately'. You'll be left behind," Hiori scoffed, slipping on a pair of canvas lace up shoes before sweeping all of her hair over one shoulder, the deep red locks hanging down her front and tickling the exposed skin of her stomach.

"As if. Urahara isn't stupid enough to leave me, I'd beat him up."

"Says the girl who has yet to master her own Zanpakuto." Yoruichi countered before hopping off of the bed. "Now, if you don't mind, you're going to carry me on your shoulders. I'm tired," Hiori made a face before placing her hands on her hips.

"Why should I?" she snapped, switching off the lights in her room and shutting the door behind her. Yoruichi shot her a glance, causing Hiori to back down immediately. "Stupid cunt- I mean, cat..."

"You're not going to say goodbye to Tatsuki first?" Yoruichi whispered as Hiori draped her across her shoulders. She shook her head, taking the stairs two at a time.

"It's better if I just leave without seeing her... I may stay, otherwise." she replied. The front door clicked shut behind her, and Hiori tossed her house key in her hand several times as she made her way down the concrete walkway. "These memories better be worth it." Yoruichi said nothing, merely continued to pur contentedly as Hiori walked briskly down the middle of the deserted street; A moment later, she tossed her key over the brick wall. It wasn't as if she'd be needing it.

* * *

><p>Hiori arrived at Urahara shop at almost one thirty in the morning. She sighed audibly, earning herself a light clawing on the back of her neck from a very sleepy Yoruichi; Both Ichigo and Orihime were extremely out of breath, suggesting that they had run there together, an assumption which irked Hiori much more than she would have liked. Chad sat in front of them, his usual stoic self, and Hiori expected that Ishida would be arriving at any moment. All in all, it was a pretty shitty situation for the moody red head: Ishida was annoying, she hated Orihime (not to mention she was starting to consider her a rival of sorts), Chad was too quiet and Ichigo just made her fuck up her own sentances.<p>

"Hiori-chan?" Orihime called, giving Hiori a questioning look, but still waving enthusiastically despite her confusion. Ichigo peered over his shoulder, making a face as he spied Yoruichi riding on Hiori's back.

"What's with the cat?"

"Yoruichi-san?" Orihime murmured, peering at the cat. Hiori made a face- How was it that Orihime was so deeply involved with the people in her life without her even knowing? She had resisted the urge, for several days now, to just blatantly ask the walnut haired girl why the hell she was even coming on this venture. She didn't have any former ties with Soul Society, and she had never been close to Rukia. So what was her deal?

"You know my cat?" she asked, sounding slightly more angry than she had intended. Orihime nodded, her smile growing, and Chad was now eyeing Yoruichi with interest.

"Yoruichi-san tought us!" she replied, gesturing between both herself and Chad. Hiori's scowl deepened.

"You didn't tell me," she muttered, and Yoruichi's deep chuckle radiated through her body where she sat on Hiori's neck. Yoruichi made no move to answer, and simply continued to pur contentedly on her shoulders.

"Hiori-chan, why are you coming with us?" Orihime asked, looking to Ichigo for a moment for an answer. He didn't seem to notice, as he was still staring at the large black cat on Hiori's back, clearly lost as to why the abnormally large feline was tagging along with the red haired girl.

"I was invited." Hiori muttered, not really answering Orihime's question at all. She opened her mouth to protest, but Ichigo cut her off.

"Where's Ishida?" he asked, glancing around. "I heard he was coming, too." Orihime perked up instantly, hastily moving to answer Ichigo's question.

"Just wait awhile, he'll come!"

"... He won't come." Chad said monotonously.

"Chad!" Orihime sqeaked, giving the taller boy a disapproving glare.

"It's no big deal, Inoue." Chad said, keeping his voice level, contrasting with Orihime's animated way of speaking. "Ishida... It's actually... Better if he doesn't come. Among us, he's the... Most complex. The more complex you are, the weaker you are... That's who he is." Hiori glanced over her shoulder at Yoruichi, briefly wondering what exactly Chad would think of her if he found out that she knew absolutely nothing about where she came from; That had to qualify as being 'complex'. If that wasn't complex, she had no idea what was. "So, out of all of us, I think he is the weakest. If he didn't come... Maybe that would be... Better..."

"Who did you say won't come?" Hiori jumped, and Yoruichi dug her claws into her back. An extremely serious-looking Ishida stood in the distance, and Hiori couldn't help but admire Chad's imperviousness to the suddenly heavy, immensely awkward atmosphere. After all, he had practically been trash-talking Ishida a moment ago. "Didn't I tell you? I couldn't forgive myself for losing to a Shinigami, so I had to train. Since I said that, I won't stop until I win. For that, I'll go anywhere."

"Ishida... Thank you!" Orihime beamed over at the dark haired boy, who was briefly taken aback, and Hiori visibly rolled her eyes.

"Y-you've misunderstood... This has nothing to do with Kuchiki, can't you understand that?" Hiori chuckled under her breath, earning herself a nudge in the shoulder from Ichigo. He moved his eyes towards Ishida, and Hiori followed his gaze, finally taking in what the Quincy was wearing. It was, to put it kindly, a fairly ridiculous get-up. "I also want you to see, Kurosaki... How strong I've become."

"Ishida... You..." Hiori watched as Ichigo's serious expression turned slightly more goading. "Did you walk all the way here wearing that weird clothing?"

"You-"

"You're very brave, Ishida." Hiori murmured, glancing down briefly at his pure white boots. "This is... Quite an outfit."

"How can you say it's weird?" Ishida exclaimed, preparing to lash out at the pair of bright-haired teenagers, but he was interrupted by an all-too familiar voice.

"Oh... That's great, everyone is here!" Urahara Kisuke stood in front of the group of high schoolers, his black coat ruffling in the light morning breeze. He still wore his usual wooden sandals, and Hiori had to marvel at his quietness when approaching them, even with that sort of inconvenient footwear. "Next, come in and I'll explain to you guys how to get to Soul Society." He slid the door to Urahara Shop open quietly, and peered over his shoulder ominously. "You should listen carefully. Otherwise, you may be dead before you even reach Soul Society."

* * *

><p>"This is amazing!" Orihime exclaimed, gazing around the barren expanse of Urahara's training grounds, where both Ichigo and Hiori had been only days before. "I didn't know there was such a large space under ground! This is so cool- It seems just like an underground base!"<p>

Hiori and Ichigo both exchanged unamused glances, and Hiori was quickly beginning to recalculate just how long she'd be able to tolerate Orihime once they arrived in Soul Society. Originally, she had thought that she would be able to be nice for the entire time, but judging by Orihime's continuous over-eagerness, such a thing couldn't be possible.

"You..." Hiori jumped as the large man known as Tessai seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Taking Orihime's hand, he bowed slightly in gratitude. "Your reaction is so good. I, Tessai, feel so touched." Orihime laughed, rubbing the back of her neck nervously as Tessai continued to hold her hand in his own.

"It's nothing!"

"What the hell is with that?" Hiori muttered, folding her arms over her chest. Ichigo shrugged, still eyeing the pair with a strange expression on his face. Hiori glanced between Orihime, Chad, Ishida and Ichigo, finally realizing who the clear odd man out was. Unlike the rest of them, Orihime had an uncanny knack for getting along with people that she had only just met. Hiori wondered if she used to be like that, able to interact with anyone any time; She quickly chased the notion from her mind, remembering how Urahara had mentioned that a man by the name of Kyouraku Shunsui had not liked her much. A sudden clap pulled Hiori from her thoughts, and the group turned to face Urahara, who was grinning broadly out from underneath the brim of his hat.

"Okay, everybody!" he called, gesturing to his right. "Please look over here! We're about to go!"

Hiori's eyes widened, and she unconsciously drew a bit closer to Ichigo as giant rocks began to rise into the air. One slid to the ground directly behind Urahara, sending dust all through the open air, and Hiori stiffled a small cough, shutting her eyes to block out the dust and rock particles. When she opened her eyes, an enormous rectangle of rock stood behind Urahara, and she couldn't help but blink rapidly several times, just to see if it was real. Looking around, she saw that the rest of the group was just as shocked, if not more so, than she was, though not much could be said for Chad. He was as unreadable as ever.

"Come- This is the door to Soul Society." Hiori stared, awe-struck, up at the rocky portal. Even though she wasn't Urahara's biggest fan, she felt that all she could do was be incredibly impressed. "Senkaimon. Please listen carefully... I will now explain how to get through this door without dying. But, first thing's first-" In an instant, Urahara was behind Ichigo, sending his cane straight through his neck and ejecting his soul from his body. Hiori shuddered involuntarily, not really wanting to experience that painful feeling that she had the first time. The rest of the group let out an impressed 'Ohhh' noise, all gathering around Ichigo's lifeless body with interest.

"He's completely seperated." Ishida observed as Chad picked up Ichigo's limp human body.

"Oh, Kurasaki-kun, then you can't enter this Kurosaki-kun over here?" Orihime asked. Her fingers were roaming over Ichigo's skin, and Hiori was vaguely disgusted at the ways she was handling Ichigo's body. It gave her a strange sort of feeling, as if she was witnessing someone being roofied and then molested. Ichigo put his hands on his hips, glaring down at the three teenagers as they continued to manhandle his body.

"Of course. You're saying it as if I'm Kintarou's Candy... Why are you guys freely touching my body?"

"That's right! It will soon be mine- You shouldn't touch it!" Hiori jumped noticeably, finally realizing that she wasn't the only one who had brought a "pet" along. Kon was peering over Ichigo's shoulder, an enthusiastic smile stretching the fabric of his face. "Ah, but Inoue-san, you can touch it!" Hiori rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo roared, not realizing that the rest of the group was now in a shocked sort of silence.

"You're asking me why? Of course I'm coming with you!"

"Absolutely... Not." Hiori muttered, glaring over at the stuffed lion. He narrowed his beady eyes at her, apparently not caring at the moment that she was a girl who was giving him any form of attention.

"Why not? Are you planning on leaving me behind? As the man Kon, I will brave whatever difficulties-" Kon was cut off by Chad, who had roughly grabbed him by the head and brought him towards his face. Chad met Kon's eyes, and continued to hold onto him despite his frantic struggles. Hiori raised an eyebrow- If this was supposed to be some sort of dream like reunion, Chad had it all wrong.

"Your turn, Hitsugaya-san!" Urahara called, tearing the group's attention away from Chad and Kon. Hiori gulped, squeezing her eyes shut as Urahara's cane passed through her body, seperating her soul from the Gigai. The pain wasn't nearly as intense as it was at first, though she still got an unpleasant feeling of pins and needles in her appendages, which was coupled by a horrible pressure in her head. She fell to the ground, nearly knocking the wind out of her. Spluttering, she got to her feet, brushing off the bottom of her Hakama and straightening her Zanpakuto as she stood.

"H-Hiori-chan?" Orihime murmured, looking her up and down. "You didn't... You never said you were..." Ishida was staring at her in a calculating way, looking her up and down and waiting for Orihime to finish before speaking. "Are you the same as Kurosaki-kun?"

"She isn't- I realized what she was several weeks ago," Ishida said, still giving Hiori an icy glare. "Frankly, I'm surprised that you managed to keep such a thing a secret for so long. I never sensed any Reiatsu from you until recently... But now that it's back..."

"Well, it wasn't really... You know, a secret..." she muttered, and Ishida cast her a questioning look, but before he could question her further Urahara grabbed their attention once again.

"Okay, look over here!" he called, waving his arms in the air. He gave one the impression of a very happy child, which to Hiori seemed to suit his personailty just fine. He was very childish for a man his age. "I'm starting the esplanation of this door!"

The group gathered around the enormous rocky door. Hiori felt a strange sort of calm wash over her as she neared the Senkaimon. She held her breath, running her hand over the rough rock, which was crudely pieced together in a rectangle to form the Senkaimon.

'We're going home'

Hiori quickly drew her hand away from the Senkaimon, shaking her head rapidly. She didn't need to hear Amaterasu, not now. She had enough to worry about already, and Amaterasu's snarky comments were the last thing she needed, especially since she was preparing to cross over an extremely dangerous 'Gate' to Soul Society which was, if it was even possible, more dangerous.

"Usually, the door is made by adding Reishihenkankon to the top of the Senkaimon, and they use Ketsugoufu to cover it up and keep it all together." Hiori, along with the rest of the group, all gave him a blank stare.

"Reishi... What now?" Hiori asked, tilting her head upwards to look at the top of the gate. Urahara scoffed under his breath, but otherwise ignored her, and continued to plow on with his explanation of Senkaimon.

"As you know, the Soul Society is the world of Souls."

"No shit, Urahara." Hiori muttered, crossing her arms. "The name is pretty much self explanitory, if you haven't noticed." Hiori resisted the urge to say 'Shut up' when Amaterasu's snickering once again filled the back of her mind.

"Yes, thank you, Hitsugaya-san." Urahara said, his smile faultering for a moment. "Let's not be nasty, though, shall we? It was a necessary statement to begin my explanation- You must be a Soul to enter Soul Society. However, the only ones of you who can move around freely as souls are Hitsugaya-san and Kurosaki-san, who are both Shinigami." Orihime and the others stared at Urahara with an unflinching interest. "Even if the rest of you are seperated from your bodies, you are still connected by a Chain of Fate, not to mention it is difficult to move around in Soul Society." Urahara held up a single finger in an official sort of way, taking a deep breath before continuing. "That is why it is necessary to add Reishihenkankon. This thing changes the 'Kishi', which makes up the things in the living world into 'Reishi', which is the main component of souls."

"So, this means we don't have to seperate our souls, we just have to go through this door." Ishida said, looking at the door in an appreciative manner.

"Right!" Urahara said, who looked extremely happy that someone seemed to understand it so thoroughly. "You guys can go to Soul Society with your original form." Ichigo and Hiori made eye contact for a moment, and the carrot top nodded resolutely as he stepped forward, a determined look on his face.

"Okay. Got it." he said, making his way towards Senkaimon. "Then let's go- Oh shit!" Ichigo doubled over as Urahara's cane/Zanpakuto made contact with his gut.

"Now is the important topic!" he said happily. Ichigo hobbled back over to Hiori, slinging his arm around her shoulders and doubling over once again. Hiori eyed him nervously as he continued to rub his stomach gingerly. "That's right- There's no problem going through the door. Reishihenkankon won't bring pain, as long as you go forward, you can go to Soul Society. The problem is 'time'. The time allowed to go through Senkaimon to Soul Society is only four minutes."

"Four minutes!" the group exclaimed, and Hiori's eyes widened. How long was the path to Soul Society? How fast would they have to go? Four minutes couldn't possibly be enough time. It just couldn't.

"Once the time is up, the door will close and you will be forever locked inside the 'Dangai'. Plus, inside the Dangai, in order to prevent enemies such as Hollows, it's filled with a current called 'Kouryuu', which can stop souls from moving. Just one foot caught by it, and the chance of leaving Dangai in time is almost impossible."

"Well... Well, what should we do, then?" Orihime asked, a look of concern painting her features.

"Just walk forward." Hiori glanced down, spying the familiar black cat sauntering towards them. She hadn't seen Yoruichi since they had entered Urahara's 'Secret Base', and she had a sneaking suspicion that she had been off sleeping somewhere, though she was sure if she were to bring it up it would be denied vehemently, and she would receive some sort of pay back for it later. "Didn't I tell you? The Heart and the Soul are connected. What's important is how your heart thinks."

"Thanks, Ghandi," Hiori said sarcastically, earning herself a hard glare from the yellow eyed pseudo-feline.

"Yeah, yeah." she muttered, turning away from the sangria haired girl and facing Senkaimon. "Only those who can do it can follow me." Ichigo stepped forward, a look of determination once again on his face.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, stepping in front of the group and staring Yoruichi hard in the eyes. "Those who chosen to gather here have made the decision and are determined to see it through!"

"You should know very well, kid..." Yoruichi began, and although she appeared to be speaking to Ichigo, her eyes were locked only on Hiori, who couldn't do anything to stop shivers traveling up her spine. "That if you lose, there is no return." Silence hung in the open air, and for a moment Ichigo didn't look as determined; But a moment later, he set a hard glare on the black cat in front of them.

"Of course we have to win!" Yoruichi chuckled, finally dragging her eyes away from Hiori and instead meeting Ichigo's gaze.

"... Well said..."

Hiori's breath hitched a moment later as a sudden burst of energy was emitted from the middle of Senkaimon. Hiori carefully studied Ichigo's expression as Urahara and Tessai activated the Senkaimon. Hiori clenched her fists, and she felt some sort of awful sadness well up inside of her, and she blinked back the tears that were now beginning to sting the corners of her eyes; She was leaving. She didn't even know if she would ever come back. Would they kill her, those people in Soul Society? Was she going to die? She didn't even know if returning to Soul Society would give her any of her memories, and yet here she was, leaving behind everything she knew to go find something else that she had lost.

"... What the hell am I doing?" she whispered, but only Ichigo seemed to hear her. He met her eyes for only a moment, and before he could speak Urahara's voice called over the noise of the Senkaimon.

"Are you ready?" he asked, and Hiori tore her gaze away from Ichigo to meet the eyes of the blonde man crouching in front of her. "The moment it opens, you all will dash in there."

"Got it!" Ichigo said resolutely, and Hiori bent her knees a little in a sort of ready position- One that Tatsuki had tought her when they used to do foot races. "Kon... Please take care of my family..." Glancing over her shoulder, Hiori saw Kon's expression soften from where he was bound and gagged on the ground, a precautionary measure they had taken to ensure that he wouldn't follow them to Soul Society.

"Let's go!" he yelled as a light brighter than the sun burst forth from the gate in front of them. Hiori pushed off of the ground, sprinting as fast as she could through Senkaimon and straight on into Dangai- And as soon as she was in, she just kept running. It all seemed so familiar; Even as the scenery of Dangai flashed past her, even if she wasn't taking it in at all, and the only thing she saw was Yoruichi's tail, and the only thing that she heard was Orihime's screams as what she could only assume was Kouryuu chased them down. Yoruichi turned back around, facing Ichigo and the others, but Hiori couldn't hear what she was saying.

The pure white, gleaming square at the end of Dangai was almost calling to her- And for a moment, her head was flooded with all sorts of voices that she was sure she knew, but had she been asked who they were, she wouldn't have been able to say their names; She just kept running, and the next minute she burst out of Dangai, flying through the air and landing roughly in the dirt. Her gray eyes widened as she watched the rest of her posse drop from the sky, and even though they were headed straight for where she was laying, she couldn't move. This was Soul Society... Her home. But no matter what she did, Hiori couldn't help but wonder... If this was where Hollows feared to tread, where did that leave her?

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><p><strong>So I was hoping to get more action into this chapter, but as it happens it was already really long by the time I actually got them into Soul Society, so the real action will have to wait until another chapter.<strong>

**This chapter is still just sort of... A transition chapter, much like the last one, but things will finally start to progress in the next few chapters. In case that last line confused anyone (I'm not sure if my wording was clear enough or not) it's just referring to how Byakuya hinted at her having "Hollow Powers", and the chapter name in the manga is called 'Where Hollows Fear To Tread' in reference to Soul Society. Thus, she's thinking if she is a Hollow, what is she doing there?**

**I went back and changed a mistake that was pointed out to me in a review of the very first chapter, so thanks for pointing that out!**

**Akke: I'd resolve the HiorixIchigo thing sooner, but I feel like if I move to fast, it'll just get old and much too fluffy for my liking, you know? So, even though it's killing me, too, that "sexual tension" will be hanging around for quite some time! **

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews!**


	18. Part 1: Salt Skin

_..._

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><p><em>"I'm not superman, so I can't say anything big like I'll protect everyone on earth. I'm not a modest guy who will say it's enough if I can protect as many people as my two hands can handle either. I want to protect a mountain-load of people."<em>

* * *

><p>She blinked once. Then once again- And for a third time, Hiori blinked, slowly closing then reopening her eyelids. No harsh sunlight met her, which she found odd, because she was certain that it had been quite sunny when she had crash-landed in the middle of Soul Society only moments before. For a moment, she as completely at a loss as to what had caused the sudden lack of sunlight; Soon enough, however, she had found an explanation. She was no longer in Soul Society- At least, not consciously.<p>

The familiar and ruined terrain of her inner world greeted her large gray eyes as she pushed herself upright from her position on the ground, splayed on her back. The rubble and silt below her shifted beneath the palms of her hands, and even as she stood still she could feel the unstable rumblings of her inner world shake her where she sat. Hiori stood up, straightening out her back, but even as she stretched she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right. And, even though she now recognized that she was indeed within her inner world, that still didn't explain how she had gotten there in the first place. Had she fallen asleep? She couldn't help but feel immensely embarrassed, and she figured that she'd never hear the end of it from Ichigo and Yoruichi as soon as she woke up.

"Defense mechanisms."

Hiori jumped, turning on the spot, and meeting the startling blue eyes of Amaterasu. She mentally slapped herself for being startled. After all, what had she expected? This was Amaterasu's home, after all- Where else would he be? He looked just as he always had; Shaggy black hair, billowy black pants and his usual black, sleeveless shirt, and no shoes. But something was off, Hiori could tell, without even knowing how. She didn't trust this boy standing in front of her. Not at all.

"What do you mean, 'Defense Mechanisms'?" she asked, taking a cautious step towards "Amaterasu". He chuckled softly, pushing his fists into the pockets of his pants.

"I mean exactly what I said." he replied. For the first time, Hiori could put her finger on one thing that was off- Amaterasu had never liked being far away from her. He'd always been one to quickly close the distance. So why was he now taking careful precautions to stay as far away as possible? Even as she thought this, he had taken two or three steps backwards. "Your subconscious mind doesn't want you to remember, so its sent you here before you can get any farther into Soul Society. You're slowly sending yourself into another coma, Hiori." Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt her Maze give a tremulous shake beneath her feet. She narrowly dodged a stream of falling rock and sand from the top part of the Maze.

"You said another coma... Has this happened before?" Amaterasu lowered his eyes momentarily, and for a moment Hiori was sure that he was not going to answer. Normally, he wouldn't have told her anything.

"Yes. It has."

"For how long?" Amaterasu was silent for a long time. Hiori couldn't quite tell whether it was because he was counting the amount of time in his head, or he was reluctant to answer- She hoped it was the latter, as he was taking an awfully long time.

"Over one hundred years, if I remember correctly." he answered finally. "Which I do. Obviously."

"I... Wh-what?" Hiori was rapidly beginning to struggle with her breathing, which was becoming increasingly more difficult by the second. If she had been asleep for more than one hundred years, how old was she, exactly? What had been going on while she had just been lying around sleeping? "That... That can't be right. I can't have been asleep for that long! Urahara never said-"

"Why would he tell you? He'd have to explain why, wouldn't he?" At this, Hiori arched an eyebrow. How did explaining why factor in to Urahara giving her some sort of explanation? A heads up would have been nice. A simple _'By the way Hitsugaya-san you were in a coma for one hundred plus years thought you'd wanna know'_ would have sufficed. "Explanations would have made things more complicated for him."

"More complicated for _him_?" Hiori croaked, suddenly feeling very short of breath. "I just found out that, prior to the last two years, I've been asleep. If that's not 'complicated', then I don't know what the hell is!"

"This is wasting time." Amaterasu said suddenly. "You don't want to go into a coma again, do you?" Hiori shook her head quickly; She had absolutely no intentions of letting her body go back into whatever sort of suspended animation it had been in two years ago. "Do you want me to tell you what to do?"

"Uh, yeah, that would be helpful," Hiori snapped, glancing around as the Maze gave yet another shake.

"You seem awfully nervous, Hiori," Amaterasu murmured, though instead of taking a step closer he took another step back. "All you have to do is break down these walls."

"I... _What_?"

Out of all of the possible solutions Hiori had been considering, that had been the very last one on her mind. She had only ever seen what was lurking just outside of the walls of the Maze once before, and she hadn't liked what she had seen. Images of the black, oozing liquid were still burned into her memory, and the very thought of that sinister stuff leaking into her precious inner world just didn't seem right.

"You heard me. Break it down." Hiori shook her head again, and by now she was really beginning to sense that something was seriously wrong. What was Amaterasu saying? He had never before mentioned the breaking of the walls- Although, now that she thought about it, he had also failed to mention her one hundred years coma. "Do you want to go to sleep again, Hiori? If you don't, you'd better hurry up."

"You're lying." Amaterasu raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by this accusation. "I've seen what's outside! I'm not going to let that creepy demon shit come in here- No way!" The Zanpakuto spirit across from her let out a low chuckle, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he laughed. Hiori's gaze darkened as she glared over at him, and for a moment she saw his eyes become brighter. "You're not Amaterasu, are you?"

"Hm," Amaterasu hummed, lifting his head up a bit to gaze across the Maze at Hiori, who was now backed right up against the opposite wall. "... No. I suppose I'm not." The image of Amaterasu flickered, and in the milliseconds that Hiori's eyes were closed as she blinked, he was gone. In his place stood a woman, exactly her height, those neon blue eyes that she remembered from her very first time in her inner world staring back at her. Her long black hair, which was the same length as her own, swayed in a nonexistent breeze, and her paper white skin gave Hiori the chills. It looked as if she didn't even belong there- As if she had been drawn into her world as an afterthought.

"Who're you?" Hiori whispered, her gray eyes narrowing as the woman finally took a step closer.

"_Don't ask questions you know won't be answered,_" the woman replied as she smirked evilly. As she spoke, Hiori realized that both her teeth and lips were black, as if she had swallowed an enormous amount of ink, and her mouth had been stained. She felt her stomach churn unpleasantly as the woman grew ever closer.

"... Am I really going into a coma?" she murmured, and the woman let out a barking laugh.

"_That part was true, actually._" she said, tossing her long dark hair over one shoulder. Hiori frowned, noticing that she was now wearing the same hakama that she was wearing, except that it was white instead of black. "_Breaking through the wall won't help you any, though. Sorry, I lied._"

"This is... Too fucking weird..." Hiori's voice was barely audible over the rumbling of the Maze, and the woman cocked her head to the side, apparently having missed what Hiori had said. "Where's Amaterasu?"

"_Oh. Him._"

"Yes, _him,_ my Zanpakuto spirit." Hiori snapped as the woman laughed even louder. "I need to know where he is."

"_For now, his body is mine. He let his guard down for a moment... I imagine he'll be pushing me out very soon, he never lets himself go for very long._" she answered as she raised her left hand in front of her face. Her eyebrows knit together as she glowered at the appendage. "_Ama-chan has made things... Difficult... For me._"

"He's doing his job, then... And don't call him 'Ama-chan', you creepy bitch," At this the woman smiled, and for the first time Hiori met her eyes. An unpleasant chill raced down her spine, and suddenly her mind was filled with unfamiliar images- A small boy with spiky white hair waved at her from a small hut in a town that looked strikingly similar to the one she had landed in what seemed like only minutes ago. The next, a tall man with short gray hair and ear piercings met her eyes in the middle of a dirt pathway, in a place that she did not recognize. The numbers '6' and '9' stood out boldly on his chest, the dark ink reminding Hiori of her own tattoo.

"_You'd like you memories back, wouldn't you?_" Hiori gulped in mouthfuls of air, not having realized that she had completely ceased to breathe. "_All you have to do is ask._" Hiori scoffed, earning herself an icy glare from the woman.

"Yeah, that seems likely." she retorted. "What do I look like, a class A moron?"

"_There's no point waiting. When you get out of here, the closer you get to Soul Society, the harder it will be to control me._" she murmured, a sinister smile stretching her features. "_Either embrace me now, or be taken over by me later. Either way, I'll get what I want. And, Hiori, wouldn't you like to remember? I remember everything, you know,_"

"You tried to turn me against Amaterasu when I first met you-"

"_I'm not pretending to be your ally, Hiori,_"

"You were just a minute ago. Otherwise, why bother trying to look like Amaterasu?"

"_Touche." _

"But, why do you-" Before Hiori could finish her sentence, the woman began to convulse, her image flickering back and forth between man and woman. Her eyes went wide as a strangled gasp escaped her throat, and a moment later Amaterasu was crouched on the ground, breathing heavily, his hair sticking to his forehead as if he had been sweating.

Hiori took a tentative step forwards, not sure whether or not it was alright to approach her weakened Zanpakuto spirit. If she had learned anything from watching the nature channels with Tatsuki, it was that a wounded animal was much quicker to lash out than a healthy one.

Hiori's long red hair draped over Amaterasu's shoulders as she leaned over him, her face now only inches away from the top of his head. His breathing was coming out in ragged gasps, and a light sheen of sweat now covered his body. Hiori still did not quite understand how the inner worlds worked- Were spirits even supposed to get sweaty? She quickly pushed the thought aside, now crouching down directly in front of Amaterasu, her hair still tangled up with his, the black and red giving her the odd feeling of looking at fire and ash.

"Amaterasu?" Hiori could feel his breath on her face as she leaned closer. She was trying to get a good look into his eyes- She felt that this was the only affirmation she could really get as to whether or not he was indeed the real Amaterasu. "Hey... Hey, look at me..." Hiori's ears picked up on a quiet laugh escaping the boy's lips, and the next minute he had pressed his forehead against her own.

Despite the sweat he was cold as ice, but Hiori didn't draw back. She could already tell that this was the real Amaterasu. Some of his sweat was now running down her face, and she could taste the salt on her lips- But she didn't wipe it away. They were practically one person, after all. One soul. She felt his left hand come to rest on the back of her neck, drawing her closer as his nose brushed against her own.

"Sorry..." he muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Totally not your fault... I'm stupid, right? For even falling for it in the first place, right?" Hiori wanted to pull back, and force him to look her in the eyes. He should be calling her stupid, he should be yelling at her. Instead, he just looked disappointed in himself.

"Yeah... Stupid." Before Hiori could reply, a sickening pain burst through her system, and she felt something warm land on her hands, which were resting on top of her knees. A small groan of agony escaped her lips, the shock of it all being the only thing keeping her from crying out then and there. Her own Zanpakuto had been driven straight through her stomach, the blood dripping down the jagged edge that split the sword almost clean in half.

"Ama... What did you...?" she felt blood rising back up into her throat, threatening to choke her with every word that she spoke. His grip on the back of her neck tightened pulling her so close that she could feel his lips move against hers.

"... You have to wake up somehow, don't you?" Blood dribbled out from between Hiori's lips, pooling on the ground between them as she felt herself slowly begin to slip away.

"Y-you... Couldn't have... Done it less painfully?" Amaterasu laughed again, but despite his closeness, Hiori could no longer feel him touching her.

"You'll be awake soon." he murmured, and his voice was now becoming a distant echo in the back of her mind. "I'll be more careful next time... I promise."

* * *

><p>"Who is that?"<p>

"Someone broke in!"

A plethora of yelling met Hiori's ears not a second after she regained consciousness. She groaned as she pushed herself up, and even though the wound that Amaterasu had inflicted on her had not really effected her, she still felt a sort of soreness in her abdomen, which twinged painfully with every move that she made. Breathing deeply, she felt an immense sense of relief- She had escaped both a coma and that creepy demon lady of her subconscious. The moment that she did actually open her eyes, however, she found herself almost wishing that she _had _gone into a coma.

"It's a wild pig!" Ichigo said loudly, and Ishida was looking increasingly more confused. "A wild pig ran in!" It was then that Hiori noticed an unfamiliar figure pushing himself up off of the ground, brushing off his forehead a grumbling something to himself before striking a rather ridiculous pose.

"Yo! Long time no see, old man!" he said, and Hiori couldn't help but make a face. Were all men idiots? An elderly man to her left perked up instantly in response.

"Ganju, it's you!" he yelled, looking almost angry. "What are you doing here? Go back home!"

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while- I just came to say hi! You're already kicking me out? You're scaring the guest, don't be so impolite," he said, gesturing towards Ichigo. The old man retorted that it was in fact him that was scaring the guests, but the other man didn't seem to be listening. Instead, his gaze was going back and forth between both Ichigo and Hiori, who was now wide awake.

"What?" Ichigo muttered, glaring up at him.

"Hey, ugly." Hiori snapped, and Ichigo's eyes instantly snapped to her, finally noticing that she was now awake. "What the hell are you staring at?" The man glowered, taking off his goggles in a rather over dramatic fashion before pointing accusingly at the snarky red headed girl.

"What the hell are two punk ass Shinigami doin' here?" Ichigo turned his attention back to the man, folding his arms across his chest and staring up at him, a bored expression on his face. The man seemed to take this as some sort of challenge, and crouched down in front of him so that he and Ichigo were now on eye level. "Yo! Say somethin', I asked you a question!" he commanded, though Ichigo remained as stoic as ever. The man slapped the side of his face lightly, and Hiori could clearly see a vein popping out in Ichigo's forehead. "What is a punk ass Shinigami like you..." he took Ichigo roughly by the chin, which only served to make Ichigo glower even harder. "Doin' in a place like this?"

This seemed to be the final straw for Ichigo, and his patience finally came to an end. A loud 'thud' met Hiori's ears as Ichigo's fist made contact with the side of the man's face, sending him flying across the room. Despite the power that Ichigo had put into the punch, his expression looked just as calm as ever, and Hiori couldn't help but snicker to herself as the man stood back up, enraged. It's not as if he hadn't deserved it.

"Why the hell did ya' punch me, dandelion head? You tryin' to pick a fight with me? HUH!"

"That's my line, you pig-riding barbarian!" Ichigo roared, no longer looking calm at all. "Suddenly barging in here, who the hell do you think you are?"

"Oh, dear..." Hiori jumped, finally realizing that none other than Inoue Orihime was sitting at her side. A worried expression marred her face as she watched the exchange between Ichigo and the man called Ganju intensify in both volume and language.

"Just let 'em fight it out, boys will be boys." Hiori sighed, rolling her eyes while Ishida began questioning the old man on her other side.

"What? You really don't know who I am?" Ganju asked, finally deciding to use his "inside voice". "You sure are one ignorant Shinigami..."

"He isn't from here, shithead!" Hiori called, earning herself a hard glare from the 'pig riding barbarian'.

"Well, are you?"

"More or less." Orihime cast her a confused glance, nudging her in the side, but Hiori chose to ignore this. "I don't remember much." Ganju scoffed mockingly, clearly unimpressed with her excuse, though Hiori could honestly care less.

"Well, then, I'll tell you." he said, attempting to sound either important or impressive, Hiori couldn't quite tell which. "My name is Ganju! Self-declared Nishirukongai's*** **Crimson Bullet! Self-declared the number one 'The man that is most wanted to be called the Boss of Nishirukongai' for fourteen years! Also- Self-declared 'The one who hates Shinigami the most in Nishirukongai'!"

"Amazing, they're all self-declared." Hiori muttered, folding her arms across her chest in frustration. "Wait... Did you say Nishirukongai? We're in West Rukongai?"

"Yes, Hiori-chan." Orihime whispered as Ganju succeeded in coaxing Ichigo outside for some sort of fight. "The gate that Kurosaki-kun tried to cross was the West Gate."

"What gate?"

"Ah... That's right, you passed out." Orihime mused, making a face that really made Hiori want to punch her. "Are you alright, by the way, Hiori-chan?"

"Fine." she answered curtly.

"Also, Hiori-chan, why did you say you were from here?" she asked, scooting closer to the red head. "You're Tatsuki's sister, right? You'll go back home with us when this is all over, right?" For a brief second, Hiori met her eyes, and for the first time Hiori felt her dislike for the big breasted girl dissipate just a small amount. Her eyes were so full of confusion and concern- Concern for her, and concern for Tatsuki.

"Yeah, of course I will." she smiled, leaning her head on Orihime's shoulder, but the moment was quickly interrupted by a loud thud from outside, which instantly caused Orihime to sprint to Ichigo's aid. "... Nice." Hiori muttered, having been dropped to the floor by the sudden movement of the walnut haired girl. Groaning, she pushed herself up slowly so as not to aggravate her still throbbing stomach. She hobbled to the door, peering over Orihime's shoulder to to get a look at Ganju's cronies, all of whom were riding on the back of short, fat pigs.

"Oi! Stop it, Ichigo!" Hiori's eyes snapped down to the ground, where a flustered looking cat was now running to intervene with Ichigo and Ganju's brawl. "Don't waste your energy on a useless fight!"

"He's the one who started it! Tell him that!" he retorted, glowering at Ganju with all his might.

"If you're not going to leave, Shinigami, then it seems that you and I are destined to fight!"

"Ganju, stop this at once!" The elderly man had finally made his way outside, and now wore a pleading expression on his face. "He is not a bad Shinigami!"

"You should know very well, Elder! A Shinigami is a Shinigami!" he replied. Hiori could see in his eyes a mixture of sadness, anger, hate and loss. What he had lost, exactly, Hiori was unsure. She figured if she was to be given three guesses, however, she would be able to answer correctly by just using two of them. "There are no good or bad ones! Here I come, Shinigami!"

"This is bad- Kurosaki didn't bring his Zanpakuto!" Ishida muttered. Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment she felt frozen, until she heard a voice echo from within her skull.

'Move.'

A split second later, Hiori found herself in front of Ichigo, blocking Ganju's blow with Amaterasu with considerable ease. Oddly enough, the sword with which Ganju was fighting greatly resembled her own while in its sealed form- Right down to the blunt cut tip. Ganju's glare hardened as he pressed roughly against Amaterasu, and the Zanpakuto was now emitting a high pitched scream.

"I may not be as skilled as Ichigo when it comes to fighting... Not anymore, at least," she muttered, and Ichigo made a confused face from his place behind her. "But I think it goes without saying that it's hardly fair to fight someone unarmed with a sword... Am I right?" Ganju's eyebrows knit together as the volume of Amaterasu's screaming continued to increase, and Ichigo moved to cover his ears. For a moment, Hiori was sure that he would back down, but movement from the ground suddenly caught her eyes.

"Sink down!" Ganju yelled, a maniacal grin marring his features, and Hiori soon found her feet sinking into the once solid ground below her.

"What the-" A sickening cracking sound filled the air as the blunt side of Ganju's sword made contact with the side of her face, sending her backwards, though she could not fall over completely, as her feet were caught in the quicksand. A throbbing pain quickly spread through her head, and she could already see Ganju preparing for another attack. Moving as quickly as she could, and ignoring the awful pain inside of her head, Hiori shot forward and met Ganju head on, cracking her own head against his and sending him flying backwards. He landed roughly in the dirt, groaning as he attempted to push himself up.

"How did that not hurt?" Ichigo muttered, looking between Hiori and Ganju, his face saying that he was rather impressed.

"Tatsuki taught me- It's all about the placement." she replied, smirking as Ichigo chuckled to himself.

"You know Karate too, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Don't chit chat in the middle of a fight!" Ganju roared, finally having succeeded in pushing himself upright. "I'm not done with you two Shinigami punks!" he yelled, and Hiori could have sworn that the ground shook with every step that he took.

"No- Bad news, Boss!" Hiori blinked, glancing between Ganju and his odd-looking underling, who was still standing with Ishida, Orihime and Chad. "It's already nine o'clock!" Ganju made a face as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Nine o'clock! Game over- Pig-chan!" he called, placing his fingers in his mouth and whistling.

"Wow. So hot-stuff has a curfew?" Hiori taunted, barely suppressing a loud bout of laughter after Ganju's pig all but trampled him to death. "Bummer."

"What the hell, man, are you running away?" Ichigo grumbled, and Hiori's heart jolted as she felt his hands slide under her arms, prying her feet out of the quicksand and setting her on the solid ground beside of him.

"Did I say I'm runnin' away, dandelion-head?"

"That sure is what it looks like," Hiori retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't wanna hear shit from you, fire-crotch, I just have somewhere I have to be!" he roared, and Hiori made an outraged face. Never before in her life had she ever been referred to as 'fire crotch'. From her left she heard Ichigo snicker, which earned him a rough jab in between the ribs from her elbow, causing him to double over in pain. "Wait for me till I come back! Don't run away like cotton in the wind!"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I'll do that." Hiori countered, rolling her eyes.

"How old is that metaphor?" Ichigo grumbled, watching angrily as Ganju and his posse high tailed it out of the area. "_Like cotton in the wind_? I mean, come on."

"That's what _we_ should be saying to _him_..." Hiori glanced over at Ichigo, meeting his eyes briefly before turning away as swiftly as she could. "Weird guy."

"You got that right."

An awkward silence soon ensued as Orihime, Chad, Ishida, Yoruichi and the old man watched as both Ichigo and Hiori continued to seethe over their discontinued fight. If Hiori really though about it, this was probably just about the very worst way to start off their little escapade into Soul Society.

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><p><strong>Finally updated! This chapter took me a while, because I originally started it a little differently, but then I decided to do that bit with Amaterasucreepy mystery girl. Put a little bit of an AmaOri moment in there for those of you who enjoy AmaterasuxHiori. Again, I apologize for the lack of action in this chapter- I always think that I'll be able to get farther in the story without making the chapter insanely long, but it just never works out that way...**

***Nishirukongai: West Rukongai/West Gate**

**Also, I know that the whole "100 Years Coma" may be a little weird or confusing. But I had to find some way to bridge the some 110 year gap between this story and the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, which is where the first chapter was set. Also, it will all be explained eventually, so bear with me!**

**Also, as for the title of the chapter. It's called 'Salt Skin' because sweat is salty, and there was that bit with Amaterasu being all tired out in the beginning. Also it's because I've been really getting into Ellie Goulding lately, and I love that song... That's actually the main reason, but it just worked out with that Amaterasu but, as well.**

**azuresilver: Is it for Bleach? Or something else? Whatever it is, I'd love to read it, you should definitely go for it if you've got an idea! This story in particular I started and deleted like three or four times before I finally came up with this particular plot you are currently reading. **

**Thanks for all of the reviews, they're always appreciated!**


	19. P2:The Shooting Star Project :INTRUDERS:

_..._

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><p><em>"We stretch out both of our arms... Pass through the clouds, straight to the sky... Even though we touched the Moon and the Mars... We still cannot touch the truth."<em>

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><p><strong><em>Binda Blinda: Part 2<em>**

**_Soul Society_**

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><p>"Yoruichi?" Hiori said hesitantly, desperately attempting to keep her face stoic as she stared at the 'unique' piece of architecture that stood in front of her.<p>

"Quiet, you."

Ichigo glanced over at Hiori, who was now muttering something about not having even said anything yet. It wasn't as though any comments that she may have been developing in her head were at all unwarranted- After all, the building that the group was now staring at was... Extravagant, to say the least. A large pair of human hands arched around the entrance to the building, which was pretty much dwarfed in comparison to the enormous hand sculptures. In the sculpted fists a large banner was attached, which read 'Kuukaku Shiba' in bold print.

"Human hands this time... That's pretty good." Yoruichi muttered, and Hiori couldn't repress the dumbstruck expression that flashed across her face.

"What, it gets more ridiculous than _this_?" she replied, gesturing towards the building as they walked closer. Yoruichi 'tsk'ed under her breath, choosing to ignore the sassy red head instead of engage her in some sort of argument. After glaring heatedly down at the large black cat for some time, Hiori finally moved her eyes back towards the building, which was now only several yards away. "What's that chimney for?"

"What did I just say, Hiori?" the cat snapped, though the general affect of it was lessened by the light hearted chuckle heard soon afterwards. "Don't ask so many questions."

Hiori did as she was told, albiet more than reluctantly, and even succeeded in biting back her wave of questions when the two burly guards instantly stepped down upon sight of Yoruichi. She had thought they would require more identification than that; Yoruichi's true form, perhaps. It wasn't as if there weren't other large black cats loitering around Rukongai, surely? On top of that, it wasn't as if there was anything particularly significant about Yoruichi's appearance as a cat; But all of these questions were quelled as soon as Hiori recalled Yoruichi's ability to speak.

'Idiot.'

Hiori frowned to herself as she followed Ichigo down the dark stairwell into the depths of the home of Shiba Kuukaku. Amaterasu hadn't really spoken to her since the incident in the Maze the previous day. On top of that, something seemed to slowly be changing within Amaterasu; When she had first met the dark haired boy, he had had no qualms with admitting to her that he disliked her. At first, she had thought that this was due to her less frivolous attitude, as opposed to her many supposed illicit activities during her time in Soul Society. But now, Hiori was beginning to suspect something else was the cause of Amaterasu's harboring a... 'Dislike' for 'New Hiori'. What that _thing_ was, exactly, Hiori had yet to put her finger on it.

"Please wait here for a moment." The voice of the burly guard drew Hiori from her musings abruptly, and she followed him with her eyes as he went to speak with someone just beyond the sliding doors. Being in the very back of the line, Hiori couldn't quite make out what it was they were saying, but as the sliding doors were thrown open, she peered around Ichigo's shoulders in hopes of getting a glimpse of the illusive Shiba Kuukaku character.

"Kuukaku is a _woman_!" At the exact moment Hiori said these words, so did everybody else. Apparently, they had all come to the same conclusion; This friend of Yoruichi's who enjoyed holding up their name with giant replicas of human hands _had_ to be a man. A woman, Hiori had assumed, would never have done something so unnecessarily flashy. The dark haired woman, who they now knew to be Kuukaku, sat in the middle of a mostly empty room. Her dark hair was spiky and slightly messy, sticking out in all sorts of direction due to the presence of a bandage wrapped in a strange sort of way around her head. Her right arm was missing, and on her left shoulder was a large tattoo.

"Who... Who are these kids, Yoruichi?" she asked, giving a dead-pan gaze to the group of rowdy teenagers in front of her. Her roaming eyes stopped as soon as they came upon Hiori, who met her eyes nervously, not at all expecting the next words to come out of her mouth. "The hell is that bitch doin' here?"

"I... I'm sorry, what?" Hiori spluttered, glancing around. She half expected to see herself standing somewhere she shouldn't, but she didn't seem to be doing anything wrong at all. Ichigo arched an eyebrow questionigly, but all Hiori could do was shrug and shake her head.

"Hey, you." Kuukaku said, pointing at Yoruichi. "Why'd you bring her here?"

"Kuukaku, don't be so quick to judge, you've never even met her." Yoruichi replied, stepping forward. "Besides, it's been several decades. Things change."

"I don't need to meet 'er, I've heard the stories." she said swiftly, brushing off Yoruichi's retort fairly easily and leaning back. "That chick's batshit crazy, practically everyone said so." Despite the tense situation, Ichigo sniggered softly. Hiori made a face, glaring up at him briefly, despite the small smile tugging on her lips.

"Hear that, Hiori?" he muttered, as Yoruichi and Kuukaku continued their stare-down. "Batshit crazy, she says."

"That's me, all right." she replied firmly, chuckling to herself. Orihime cast a worried glance in Hiori's direction before meeting the eyes of Ishida, who had been giving Hiori a distrusting stare for several minutes by then.

"I just came to ask a favor, Kuukaku," Yoruichi sighed as she walked a little closer. The woman let out a scathing laugh.

"Go figure," she said quickly. "That's usually what it is. But I don't want _her_ pulling any tricks while she's here." Hiori frowned, not particularly liking being talked about in such a derrogatory manner while she was still standing in the room. Ichigo playfully nudged her in the shoulder with his own, nodding resolutely as if to say _Fuck 'em_. Hiori smirked in response, showing that this sentiment was much appreciated.

"Now Kuukaku. Let's not be so mistrusting, what makes you think she'd do anything?"

"From what I've heard, she didn't particularly care for others." she muttered darkly.

"Well it's not as if any of these kids care about you, either." Yoruichi replied, an air of finality evident in her voice. "You won't have to put up with her for long. And besides, I can assure you she's not nearly as slutty as she was before."

"That's not really what I'm concerned about."

"Still here, guys." Hiori said suddenly, raising her eyebrows and waving sarcastically from where she stood. Yoruichi rolled her eyes before backing up a little bit, changing her position so that she could easily look between Kuukaku and the group of teenagers that had been previously standing behind her.

"Shiba Kuukaku, this is Hitsugaya Hiori."

"Uh... Hi." Hiori muttered, and she was now beginning to feel rather uncomfortable, seeing as Kuukaku still had yet to lift her icy glare.

"A woman who needs no intro, even those who don't know _you_ know that tattoo." she replied, nodding towards the dark ink that stood out against Hiori's skin. The atmosphere was tense for several long minutes as Kuukaku continued to stare at Hiori's stomach, apparently deliberating. "Is it complicated?" For a moment, Hiori was confused, not really understanding the question being asked of her. It was Yoruichi who answered, however.

"I think so, yes."

"Ha! It's been a very long time..." she trailed off, and Hiori assumed that she was reminiscing about past escapades with Yoruichi. "... Since we've had one of these conversations. Okay. Tell me. I love complicated stuff."

So for what seemed like the longest half hour of her life, Hiori sat in the most formal-looking way possible, desperately attemping to pay close attention, even though she was already well aware as to why they were here. Her chosen place to sit was as far away from Kuukaku as possible, as if she was afraid that she would lash out if she got to close. Kuukaku paid her little attention as Yoruichi carefully explained, however, and nodded attentively as she listened. Halfway through the discussion she began smoking, and something about the scent of the smoke from her pipe was pleasantly soothing to Hiori.

"Alright... I think I understand." she mused, a billowing cloud of smoke escaping through her lips as she spoke. "I'll accept this job."

"Really?" Yoruichi blurted. Hiori wondered if whatever doubts the cat-woman had been housing had stemmed from Kuukaku's dislike of Hiori herself.

"Yeah. Since Urahara's involved, I can't really refuse." As she spoke she took another long draw from her pipe, apparently still mulling the idea over slowly in her mind. "However, just because I trust you, it doesn't mean that I trust those kids. And I _especially_ don't trust _her_."

"Really feeling the love, here..." Hiori murmured, which earned another silent chuckle from the carrot top to her right. Kuukaku scowled, not appreciating Hiori's attitude.

"I'll send one of my men, just to make sure." Kuukaku continued. "Any objections?"

"Of course not."

"Your man...?" Ichigo asked, glancing around the room. Hiori mirrored his movements, also attempting to spot any sort of life form in the room along with them. She saw no one.

"Yeah, he's my little brother. But he's a punk, he's still not good enough." she muttered, stretching to free up her legs as she stood up. "Oi! I'm opening the door- Be courteous!" Kuukaku called, knocking on one of the sliding doors behind her. Hiori and Ichigo exchanged glances as they heard a somewhat familiar voice come from the other side of the door.

"G... Got it! Okay big sister!"

"Hey, Ichigo." Hiori muttered as Kuukaku reached to pull back the door. "That voice sounds like-"

"He-Hello everyone! My name is Shiba Ganju, pleased to meet you!"

Hiori gaped. Ichigo glowered. Chad shook his head, and both Ishida and Orihime exchanged weary glances. The man who had engaged both Ichigo and Hiori in a fight only the night before was kneeling on the ground, an enormous, however false, grin plastered on his face. After a minute or so, Hiori finally broke the silence.

"Oh, _hell_ no."

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><p>During her time in Foster Care, Hiori had often been told that first impressions were everything. By the time she had spent no more than five hours in the care of the Shibas, she was really starting to hope that that had all been a sack of lies. Yoruichi seemed to be hoping the same, as well, although she seemed to be trying her best to improve Kuukaku's opinion of Hiori; But she had already resigned herself to the fact that Kuukaku seemed to hate her. There was absolutely no helping it. For whatever the reason, Kuukaku seemed to completely distrust her, and judging by how Ganju always managed to stay within a fairly close proximity of her, Hiori was now eighty five percent sure that Kuukaku had instructed him to keep a watchful eye on her.<p>

After a long-winded explanation of fireworks, as well as a briefing on the Soul Society's extensive defenses against intruders such as themselves, Hiori and the others had then been instructed to learn how to make 'Canonballs' out of their Reiryoku. Orihime had caught on immediately, as well as Ishida, though his was oddly shaped. Chad's was too powerful at first, but by dinner time he had managed to control it fairly well. Ichigo, on the other hand, was having an exceeding amount of trouble with it, as well as Hiori, who still had yet to make any of her Reiryoku visible.

"This sucks!" she screamed, dropping the Reisyukaku to the ground heavily before folding her arms defiantly across her chest. She had come outside because she had originally assumed that her poor performance was largely due to Ichigo's presence- He often managed to make her screw up her own sentences, why should this have been any different. But even outside, at night, in the middle of a field and completely on her own, Hiori seemed to be completely useless.

'How useless.'

"Quiet, you!" Hiori snarled, bending over and picking up the heavy sphere once again. She stared at it for a long time, her gray eyes tracing the black pattern covering the orb repeatedly. It did her no good.

"Hey!" a voice called suddenly, causing Hiori to jump and to once again drop her Reisyukaku. She whipped her head around, and her eyes widened as she saw Kuukaku stalking through the tall grass towards her. "What the hell're ya' doing out here all alone? Tryin' to give us the slip?"

"... No." Hiori replied resolutely. "Why would I? These are my... Friends, I guess."

"You _guess_?" Kuukaku repeated, a sinister-looking sneer stretching her features. "Huh. I wasn't under the impression that Hitsugaya Hiori really had any friends."

"Urahara and I were friends." Hiori replied swiftly. She had friends- Of course she had friends. At this, however, Kuukaku let out a barking laugh.

"You and Urahara? _Friends_?" The red haired girl continued to stare blankly at the woman across from her, who continued to chuckle darkly to herself. "Uh-huh. Friends my ass."

"But..."

"Where d'you think I heard you were batshit crazy from?" Kuukaku continued, taking a step or two closer; Hiori's breath caught in her throat. "Trust me, I heard _plenty_ about you from Urahara."

"I... H-he wouldn't... Say something... Like that..." Hiori cast her eyes downward; Even as she spoke, she was beginning to doubt her own words. What did she really know about Urahara, anyways? Or herself, for that matter.

"He had a right to."

"Oh? And why's that?" Hiori retorted, forgetting her Reisyukaku all together and turning to face Kuukaku. "Exactly how_ crazy_ was I, exactly, huh? What did I do that was oh-so awful? Why do you hate me so much?"

"Like you don't know." Kuukaku replied, placing her only hand on her hip. "What, have you forgotten all those things you did already?" Hiori bit her lip, casting her eyes anywhere but Kuukaku.

"That's right." she murmured finally as she stared up at the stars. "I've forgotten... Everything." A derisive laugh escaped the woman's throat.

"That sure explains a hell of a lot, you don't seem crazy." she replied, following Hiori's gaze upwards to stare at the stars. "But, then again, Urahara always said that you were _surprisingly two faced_... Yeah, that's how he always said it."

"Funny. He never mentioned it."

"Shall I refresh that broken memory of yours?" Kuukaku asked, bringing her gaze back down from the night sky and meeting Hiori's eyes. Hiori set her lips into a firm line, part of her wanting to hear what Kuukaku had to say, and part of her wanting to blow up and start yelling as loudly as possible. Slowly, she nodded, and Kuukaku took several more steps closer. Now standing directly beside her, she finally began to speak. "... I think the most accurate way to describe your... Previous personality, let's call it, would be to compare you to a much more sinister version of Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

"Sorry, I don't know who that is."

"Even if you hadn't 'forgotten', you wouldn't. He was Urahara's replacement, so he was after your time." Kuukaku explained. "I think the reason that Urahara always talked about you was because of that sword of yours... What was its name...?"

"Amaterasu." Hiori answered swiftly, reaching behind her and clutching onto the cool metal of her Zanpakuto for comfort. "His name is Amaterasu."

"Ah, right!" Kuukaku said, snapping her fingers. "Urahara was always telling me about different aspects of your Zanpakuto that interested him, particularly your Bankai."

"Huh? What's Bankai?" Kuukaku gave her a startled look before bursting into exasperated laughter.

"Seems like I really was worried for nothing- Damn, you really don't remember anything!" Hiori frowned, feeling as if she were being made fun of. "C'mon, don't be such a stick in the mud. It's just bizarre, that's all."

"I'm not... Being a stick in the mud."

"Mm."

It was silent for several minutes. Hiori's eyes bounced from the black expanse of night in front of them, to the sky, to the grass, and to the orb that still lay at her feet. Crickets chirped loudly from all around the field, and had the situation been different, Hiori would have thought it to be rather peaceful.

"... So, what did I... Do?" Kuukaku tilted her head a little, her eyes meeting Hiori's once more as she paused before answering. Hiori got the feeling that she was attempting to warn her without words, and she knew that she wasn't going to like what she was going to hear.

"You sacrificed your entire squad to kill a single Hollow." Hiori felt as though she had been electrocuted as she felt a jolt run through her heart, one that wasn't at all like the ones she often experienced when she was around Ichigo. "Well, that's just one incident, of course."

"Just... One?" Hiori choked, hardly daring to question her further as to what this statement entailed.

"I suppose if I just say it like this, it doesn't sound so bad." Kuukaku sighed, running her fingers through her loose hair. Hiori shook her head quickly; It sounded awful. How big had this squad been- How many people had she killed to destroy a single Hollow? "I suppose if I say it like this, it would allow you to assess your old self better- You were nearly defeated by a Hollow, and after finally managing to destroy it, you killed all of those who had seen you beaten. The squad that you had been sent out with, that is."

Hiori's eyes widened, and she felt something stinging the corners of her eyelids. Warm liquid spilled over the edges of her eyes, and her lips quivered. Her mind flashed to Yoruichi, and then to Urahara; Had they been afraid, being around her all this time? Had they wished that she had just stayed in her coma? And, if this were true, why were they so set on becoming the person that she had once been- Isn't that what they wanted, for her to get all of her memories back?

"People were either afraid of you, or they just hated you. There were few who could stand your presence, not that you didn't do your best to make them feel at ease around you." she continued, apparently not having noticed the stream of tears now washing their way down Hiori's cheeks. "Like I said, surprisingly two faced."

Red hair billowed around Hiori's face as she slumped to the ground, curling into the fetal position as she rocked back and forth. What kind of monster was she, to slaughter her subordinates simply because they saw her nearly fail? And, even as she commited these horrible acts of murder, had she gone around flirting with everyone in sight? She must have, to earn the nickname Hitsugaya-Hentai. When Urahara said 'surprisingly two faced', did this mean that either she was a blood thirsty killing machine one minute, or a flirtatious girly-girl the next?

"Why would Urahara... Waste his time on someone like me?" Hiori asked through her silent sobs. Her face felt numb and cold, though she could still feel a slight tickle whenever a tear trailed down the side of her face.

"He probably... Thinks what happened was his fault." Hiori sniffed, glancing up as she wiped the wetness away from her eyes. Her vision became less blurry, and she could now clearly see Kuukaku staring down at her, a sad sort of smile replacing the smirk that had been there several minutes earlier. "And maybe now you're worth saving, huh?"

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

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><p>Hiori crouched down beside the sleeping orange haired boy, a fond smile tugging at the corners of her lips. His face twitched as the ends of her long carmine hair tickled his skin, and she couldn't help but let out a girlish giggled as he muttered something incoherant in his sleep. Her smile faded suddenly, once again recalling her conversation with Kuukaku the night before. After her little cry-fest in the middle of the field, Kuukaku had forced her to down an entire bottle of Sake with her before turning in for the night. Kuukaku had managed to fall asleep easily, mostly due to her alcoholic intake, but the same could not be said for Hiori.<p>

Unable to sleep at all, the red head had instead chosen to wander aimlessly through the corridoors of the Shiba household, her mind still swirling with the information that Kuukaku had divulged to her. Urahara Kisuke was not her friend. More likely than not, the situation was probably the same for Yoruichi; Hiori guessed that Urahara had asked her to watch over her for the last two years as a favor. So, without anything else to do, Hiori had found Ichigo and just sat by the wall opposite of where he slept, choosing to watch him sleep and to watch the night change to day.

Creepy? Yes, very. But at the present time, Hiori really wasn't concerned with such things. Not that Amaterasu hadn't made it his business to taunt her for a good portion of the night for being a 'lecherous insomniac'. Hiori figured that this was his own way of trying to cheer her up. Needless to say, it really hadn't done much to help ease her current self-loathing.

"Huh, what!" Ichigo said loudly, shooting upwards and nearly knocking his head against Hiori's. "Run away with you?" Hiori jumped back instantly, standing up as quickly as she could and straightening her hakama. After blinking several times, Ichigo locked eyes with Hiori. "What kind of weird dream was that?" Hiori made a face, crossing her arms and turning away.

"How would I know?" she said indeferently.

'Pretending that you weren't in here watching him sleep all night, are we?'

Hiori ignored Amaterasu, and instead continued to glower at the blank wall to her right. A blush was quickly darkening her cheeks, which she sincerely hoped the very sleepy Ichigo would fail to notice.

"Oh... Well, that was... Did I sleep well? Why did I sleep here?"

"How the hell would I know!" Hiori repeated.

'Oh. You know.'

"What are you doing here, anyways?

"None of your business!" she said quickly, glowering down at the very confused carrot-top. From within her head Hiori could hear Amaterasu snigger.

'Oh, it's definitely his business.'

Hiori shut her eyes angrilly, mentally telling her Zanpakuto spirit to _shut it_ before she started blurting unexplainable things to the air, as she often did when antagonized by Amaterasu. Finally, she reopened her eyes, but only ended up regretting it- Ichigo was now inches from her face, staring into her eyes intensely.

"Your face is all red again- I swear, Hiori, if you're sick-" Hiori pushed him away roughly, attempting to put as much distance between them as possible. Now really wasn't the time for him to be having this sort of affect on her.

"I'm not sick, okay!" she retorted loudly just as the doors to the room slid open. The familiar face of Ishida peered around, his glasses flashing in the light as he stared from Ichigo to Hiori, and then down to the floor. Hiori followed his gaze, finally realizing the Ganju was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"What the heck!" she screached, pointing at the man accusingly. "How long have you been there?" He shrugged, not even looking at her.

"I hope I'm not... Interrupting anything, Kurosaki." Ishida said suggestively, eyeing Hiori in a strange way that made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Like what?" Ichigo asked, clearly missing the suggestiveness of Ishida's comment. Normally, Hiori didn't see Ishida as the teasing type. But when it came to Ichigo, it seemed Ishida would try anything to get under the Shinigami's skin.

"Nevermind. Yoruichi's waiting on the surface," he explained, jerking his thumb down the hall. "We're leaving."

Hiori followed along behind Ichigo and Ishida, still feeling rather awkward, and still a little uneasy as to how long Ganju had been sitting in the room with her. If her gut feeling was correct, then it was probably long enough to know that she had just been creepily half-watching Ichigo as he slept.

"Good- You're here." The familiar voice of Yoruichi traveled to Hiori's ears as she made her way up the stairs, and the first thing that she noticed was the odd shape of Yoruichi's tale, which now gave her the odd impression that it was made of wire.

"Yoruichi-san, why is your tail in a zigzag shape all of a sudden?" Ichigo blurted. The others all looked horrified at the question, and Hiori glanced around in confusion.

"Am I missing something?" she whispered to Orihime, who was standing to her left.

"Ah... Kurosaki-kun's cannonball exploded and he fell asleep, then he grabbed Yoruichi-san's tail and wouldn't let go!" she whipsered, sounding thoroughly mortified. "It's a bit of a touchy subject..."

"Hey!" Kuukaku barked as Yoruichi skulked off somewhere far away from him. "What's Ganju doing?" Ichigo and Hiori both shrugged in unison.

"He was reading something downstairs..."

"HOLD ON A MINUTE!" Ganju's voice roared, and Hiori's head instantly snapped in the direction from which the voice had come. Ganju stood heaving far to her right, sweat rolling down his face. Hiori raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"Is that just from running up here, Ganju-san?" she asked, eyeing him as he walked towards them.

"Shut up! The heroes always arrive a little later!"

At this point, both Ichigo and Hiori had managed to completely absorb Ganju's new outfit. All in all, it was considerably more strange than even Ishida's fancy get up, which he absolutely refused to change now that they were in Soul Society. Ganju's outift, complete with outrageously puffy pants, completely out-did Ishida's Quincy uniform.

"Ganju, what're you wearing?" Ichigo muttered, and Ganju bristled immediately.

"This is my special battle suit!" he exclaimed, pointing at it with his thumb. "Cool, right? No matter how you beg, I won't let you try it, sucker!"

"Wow, bummer." Hiori retorted, rolling her eyes dramatically, earning a heated glare from Ganju and a snicker from Ichigo. "What're you doing here, anyways? You aren't... Coming with us, are you?" Before Hiori could so much as blink, Ganju had rushed towards her, pinning her to the side of the building with his arm, his fist grabbing hold of the collar of her tattered hakama.

"My onii-san was killed by a cold-blooded Shinigami!" he roared. Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and a strange sort of buzzing filled her ears. In the background, she could faintly hear Ichigo yelling at Ganju to let her go; But she was paying him no attention. Instead, her eyes were locked with Ganju's, and in her heart she was repeating a silent mantra: _Please, let it not have been me. Let it not have been me. Let it not have been me who killed Kuukaku's brother..._

"Ganju, shut-"

"Stop it, sis! Don't interrupt me!" he yelled over his shoulder, his grip on Hiori tightening as he spoke. "My onii-san was a genius... But he was killed! Betrayed, by his Shinigami partner!" Here he paused, his shoulders heaving up and down, out of breath from yelling.

"... G-Ganju, I'm sorry, but I-"

"I was little, and even now, I don't know who it was who did it. I don't even know the details. But, there are two things that I will never forget: The cold eyes of the Shinigami that brought my dying brother back... And the smiling face as the Shinigami thanked him... I don't know why, but not once did my big brother speak out in hatred against Shinigami! I wanted to know... The reason that he never hated Shinigami! The reason why he believed in them, even in death!" Ganju leaned closer, his mouth only centimeters away from Hiori's ear, so that only she could hear what he was saying.

"I don't know why... But you and that dandelion head... You're different from other Shinigami... I can feel it."

"Ganju, exactly how many Shinigami have you met?" Hiori muttered, keeping her voice level, low and calm. "My guess is not many, and predjudice is not a very helpful emotion."

"I don't care!" Ganju replied, gripping her rougher and pushing her harder against the wall. "If I go with you, I know I'll find the reasons why! So, I will lend you a hand on this one. If I'm predjudiced, then I'll just have to see with my own eyes... What all Shinigami are like!"

Hiori herself was now breathing rather heavily, not so much from speaking, but from the anxiety that had been building up within her. It wasn't her... She was sure of that. Had she been the one to kill Kuukaku's brother, she would no doubt be recognized by Ganju. The silence still hung in the air, and for several minutes no one said a word.

""Well, it seems you've made up your mind." Kuukaku said finally, a sneer twisting her face. "Jus' don't run away half way through, brat! If you wanna do it, give it everything you've got!"

"Yeah!" Ganju yelled, finally releasing Hiori. Not having expected this, Hiori's knees buckled, and she landed with a thud on the ground. She still felt shaky, the after effects of Ganju's speach still weighing her down a considerable amount. Hiori felt pressure against the side of her face, and she glanced up to see Ichigo tapping the back of his hand against her cheek.

"Need some help?" he muttered, though he refused to meet her eyes. Hiori smiled, taking his hand, allowing him to pull her upwards in one swift motion. "Sorry 'bout that." Hiori shook her head quietly, turning away as soon as her eyes met with his.

"Fine. I'm... Fine..." Ichigo glowered, turning on his heel and grabbing Ganju by the collar. "H-hey, Ichigo, don-"

"Hey. Watch our backs." Hiori blinked, taking in Ichigo's serious gaze as he stared at Ganju. She was sure that she heard Ganju mutter 'Scum', but Ichigo didn't seem to take it to heart.

"Okay, I'm not waiting any longer, you brats!" Kuukaku yelled, pulling Ganju and Ichigo out of their staring match. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Listen everyone!"<p>

Hiori could feel the energy surge through her, and despite not having been able to master it the previous night, she suddenly felt as if she was having absolutely no trouble with the process at all. Her only real problem was her concentration, which was being severely compromised by Ichigo's hand being nearly right on top of hers.

"Don't wonder off on your own once we're in. And if you encounter a Captain-class enemy, run... Especially you, Hiori." Yoruichi added dangerously.

"Why just me?"

"Because... Once they learn of your weakened state, I'm sure many of them would love to earn the title of the one who took down Hitsugaya-Hentai."

Hiori gulped, giving a fleeting glance in Ichigo's direction for reassurance. He nodded calmly, and Hiori felt calm once again. It never ceased to amaze her how one person could both make her feel so jittery, yet so calm, all at once.

"Our objective is to rescue Rukia. That's it. Don't tak unnecessary risks!"

The group nodded, all exchanging glances with one another. Orihime looked more determined than Hiori had ever seen her, and Ishida was glaring hard at Ichigo, who was pretending not to notice. Hiori took a deep, calming breath; She was a wounded animal, ostricized from her pack, and now she was wondering right back to the people who had cast her out. Nothing about this situation could bode well for her.

"There! The red bronze of desire demands thirty six degrees of adjustment!" Kuukaku's voice traveled up to where the group stood, and Yoruichi's eyes widened as she began yelling commands.

"Everyone install your energy- It's starting!"

"Seventy two pair of shade, thirteen pair of whistle! The ape's right hand grabs the star, embracing the twenty five suns, the cradle of sand is bleeding! _Kuukaku style version two: KAGIZAKI!"_

Hiori felt a rumble as the floor beneath her trembled, and she squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could. She felt something brush against her hand as she felt herself being thrown upwards, and from the crack in her eyelids, she could see Ichigo's fingers twisting with her own; The next thing she saw was sky.

"Huh... The impact wasn't as great as I thought it'd be." Ichigo said suddenly, glancing around through the open air. Ganju laughed, which only made Hiori squeeze her eyes shut tighter.

"It's only just begun!" And the next minute, Hiori felt as if she was going to throw up. An intense amount of pressure was pressing against her from all sides, and it was all she could do to keep her concentration centered around the orb in the middle of their group. She blocked out all noise, everything was gone, and all she could feel was Amaterasu as he pressed her as closely to him as possible.

"Concentrate... Concentrate..." he muttered, over and over and over again. Hiori could remember how scared she had been when she first fought with Amaterasu, but now that she was flying through mid air, towards the place that would possibly become her grave, she felt that this feeling was some twenty times worse than that. Slowly she lifted her head, parting her lips to speak to Amaterasu; But a moment later, she was forced from her inner world as a sudden impact shook her out of her daze.

"What's going on?" she yelled, searching for Ichigo's face through the confusion. Light surrounded all of them, and they all seemed to be floating in midair.

"It seems like we've passed the barrier- Why aren't we falling?" Ichigo called, and a moment later Yoruichi landed on top of Hiori's chest.

"Everybody, don't seperate!" she commanded. "This is only temporary. Soon a tornado will begin, and if we get seperated, we'll be thrown in different directions!" Yoruichi couldn't have explained it a moment too soon. A sudden rush of wind sent Hiori spinning, and out of instinct she clutched Yoruichi to her chest as hard as she could. "Hiori, don't serperate!"

"ICHIGO!" she screamed, reaching out her free hand. His wild expression met her eyes, and in that instant Hiori drew back her hand. He had already gathered Orihime, Ishida and Ganju together, and Hiori saw him reaching for her almost desperately. She gulped, pressing the furry black animal closer to her chest with both hands. "Sorry..."

"Hiori, what are you doing!" Ichigo yelled, pushing through the air to get closer. "Hiori, c'mon, grab my hand!"

Hiori glanced down at the cat cradled in her arms, meeting her eyes for only a moment; Yoruichi seemed to understand. Hiori didn't really understand what sort person _Hitsugaya Hiori _had been. But from what she had been told, she knew that she had been anything but popular. She also knew that, no matter what people may come after her while in Soul Society, she had already been promised death by one person: Kuchiki Byakuya. A strong man, most likely a Captain, who was out to get her. Knowing Ichigo, he would do all he could to make sure nothing happened to her. But they weren't here for her, they were here for Rukia, and that was who Ichigo needed to focus on saving.

"Hiori, hurry up!" Ichigo bellowed, but in that moment Hiori felt her foot get caught in the wind current, sweeping her away from the inside of the barrier and through the open air. "HIORI!"

"Sorry, Yoruichi," she muttered, glancing down at the cat as the wind rushed past her. The filine shut her eyes tiredly, shaking her head slowly as they drew closer to the ground by the second.

"I suppose... It's better this way..." she murmured, and a moment later a bright blue light surrounded the large black cat, warming Hiori's arms. "Well, we can't have you breaking your back crach landing, now can we?"

"You _will_ put clothes on after you help me, won't you?"

"... I won't make any promises."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally made it into Soul Society! This chapter is WAY longer than all the others, since I just really wanted to get them into Soul Society already! So, a little bit of a plot twist up there somewhere, with Hiori's weird past being revealed a little bit more. A while back before I started this story, I started reading Deadman Wonderland, which is where I got a lot of aspects of Hiori's character from (some of you who read that MAY be able to figure out which character I based her off of before anything more is explained, I'd like to see if anyone can guess!) If you can guess, you'll know where I'm headed with this! <strong>

**I also put a couple of little IchigoxHiori moments in there, although neither of them move very fast with that sort of thing, so it's just little things that both of them do spur of the moment.**

**Also, in light of recent ideas of mine, I'd like to ask my readers/reviewers one question: Is there anything that could happen in this story that would make you stop reading it? Like, anything that would just annoy you so much that you'd just... not care what happens? I'd just like to know, so I can NOT do that. Things are gonna get pretty crazy during the Arrancar Arc, I promise you (Crazy in a good way). I know it's far away, but I like to plan ahead. So any of you reviews that read my little author rants down here, I'm just curious.**

**And just to say, sorry for that little glitch when I posted chapter 18. No idea what happened there, but you couldn't read it for a while. Sorry about that!**

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	20. Part 2: Fights and Favors

_..._

* * *

><p>"<em>He who does not fear the sword he holds is not worthy of holding a sword.<em>"

* * *

><p>"Reckless."<p>

Hiori knitted her eyebrows together where she sat, crossing her arms and wincing slightly. A completely nude Yoruichi stood behind her, and was muttering rather loudly to herself as she dabbed Hiori's exposed back with a damp cloth. Outside, Hiori could clearly hear frantic yelling and marching footsteps as the Shinigami of Soul Society scrambled to find her allies.

"Stop grumbling, it's your fault for not transforming in time!" she snapped back, which earned herself a particularly hard jab in the back from the tan woman behind her. "D'you have to do that so roughly?" Peering over her shoulder, Hiori was met with a particularly grouchy-looking Yoruichi, who was holding up a bloody rag.

"See this?" she asked as Hiori glowered at her. "Do you know why this happened?"

"... Because you didn't save me like you promised, you jerk."

"No. It's because you didn't _listen_ to me, Hiori." The red haired girl rolled her eyes, making a 'tsk' noise in the back of her throat as Yoruichi went back to wiping the blood off of her back. "If you'd listened, we'd still be with Ichigo and the others, and you wouldn't have scraped up your back; Problem solved."

"Hey, I broke your fall. You're welcome."

"Yes, yes, you're very brave." the cat-woman cooed, attempting to placate the flustered girl in front of her. Finally she sighed, running the cloth over her back once more before tossing it onto the ground. She walked around Hiori, who was seated in the middle of the shack in which they were now taking refuge, and sat cross-legged in front of her, causing Hiori to instantly avert her eyes.

"Clothes, Yoruichi, _clothes!_"

"I'll be back in my cat form soon enough, just let me have my fun."

"So being naked is fun for you?"

"... It isn't for you...?"

Hiori blinked several times, briefly wondering whether the yellow eyed woman was actually being serious or not. Yoruich, however, made no move to find clothes, and instead began moving her her knee up and down as she listened to the ruckus outside. All in all, their invasion of the Soul Society had gotten off to a pretty rocky start, and after Hiori had left Ichigo up in the air, she had crash landed in the middle of one of the Division's barracks, judging by the kanji on the outside of the building. Due to her painful crash landing, Yoruichi had finally managed to transform, and had been forced to drag her to safety whilst being chased by a hoard of unseated Shinigami.

"Yoruichi?" Hiori asked, glancing up at Yoruichi from beneath her lashes. She made an incoherant noise in her throat, urging her to continue. "Where is Rukia, exactly?" Yoruichi was quiet for a moment, and Hiori watched carefully as her chest rose and fell steadily with every breath.

"More than likely, she is being held in Senzaikyu, where she will wait to be executed."

"What she did... Is it really so bad?" Hiori's mind traveled back to her conversation she had had with Kuukaku, and she couldn't help but question the Soul Society's method of punishment. Surely killing your entire squad for no good reason was a much more serious crime than giving your Shinigami powers to a human in a life-or-death situation?

"It's against the law. That's that." Yoruichi said stoutly, though she looked less than pleased about it. "The Captain Commander is very strict, as well is Central Forty-Six."

"Central what?"

"Forty-six." Yoruichi repeated. "It's the main judiciary authority here in Soul Society. Their word is law."

"How long will it take us to get to Senzaikyu?"

"That depends on what sort of people we run in to."

Hiori nodded numbly, trying her best to ignore the stinging sensation in her back. The noise outside was slowly dying down, and she guessed that Ichigo and the others had already been found, and were quickly attracting attention. Suddenly Yoruichi stood up, her feet making steady padding noises as she trotted towards the door of the shack they were in. She pressed her ear to the wooden door, listening intently as the Soul Society Shinigami were drawn away. Her yellow eyes met Hiori's gray ones, and she motioned for her to come stand with her.

"You aren't seriously going out like that, are you?" Hiori inquired, glancing down Yoruichi's body momentarily, eyebrows raised. "Are you even _trying_ to blend in?

"_Fine_," A moment later, bright blue light temporarily filled the little house. Temporarily blinded, Hiori blinked rapidly, and she glanced down to meet the eyes of an extremely cranky black cat. "Will you shut up now?"

"Wow, touchy, touchy..." Hiori muttered, pushing open the door and peering out through the tiny crack that she had made. Prior to coming into Soul Society, she had never really pictured in her mind before how she felt that it should look; She really couldn't say that this was not what she had been expecting. But at the same time, she really felt that anything that was called 'Soul Society' should be a bit more... Grand? "Looks like the coast's clear."

"I'm touchy, Hiori, because you completely ignored me and decided to go parading through Soul Society on your own." the cat growled as it followed her out of the shack. Hiori rolled her eyes as she continued walking, the souls of her sandals scuffing against the rocky pathways.

"I'm not on my own, you're with me." she retorted under her breath. The streets of Soul Society were almost too quiet- It was beginning to make her feel rather uncomfortable. Her back pressed against the cool stone of the outside of the buildings, and as she glanced around, she was starting to get the feeling of being a rat trapped in a maze; At least, that's what the layout of Soul Society was telling her, anyways. Hiori figured that the layout of the Soul Society had to be purposeful, which was smart, if one really thought about it. It kept intruders from getting too far into Soul Society.

"That isn't the point." Yoruichi replied, her now gravely voice kept in a low whisper as the pair peered around the corner of the building. "My plan was for us all to stick together. That way, we could all take on the opponent at once." she explained. Hiori slowly began to tip toe down the back alleyways, stiffening as she heard a group of Shinigami storm past the opposite side of the building. "But no. You had to go a ruin that in order to save your pride."

Hiori scoffed before darting quickly from behind one building to another. "My pride? That's what you think I was doing?"

"Well why else would you be so stupid?"

"If I'd stayed, I would've just gotten in Ichigo's way." Hiori began, her voice raspy from being kept at a whisper. "I'm not very strong, and I have no memories. Plus, I've already got Kuchiki Byakuya on my back, and God knows however many other angry Captains who want nothing more than to see me dead."

"On the contrary, you are an extremely powerful Shinigami." Yoruichi said as she followed Hiori's footsteps. "That aside, what makes you think you would have gotten in Ichi... Aha."

"_Aha_ what?" Hiori instantly rounded on the smug-looking animal behind her, who was now gazing up at her with a knowing look in her eyes. Hiori was well aware that now was hardly the time to be bickering with her only ally over something so trivial- But she was on edge, and Yoruichi's presumptuous attitude wasn't at all helping things.

"It all makes total sense now." she continued, picking up her pace and leading Hiori onward through the vacant streets of Soul Society. "Self-sacrifice. How noble."

"Not that I get what you're on about, but do you really have to be such a bitch about it?" The black cat in front of her smirked, which only succeeded in irritating Hiori even further. "_What_?"

"You like Kurosaki Ichigo. That's surprisingly human of you, Hiori." The red head spluttered loudly from her place behind Yoruichi, nearly forgetting where they were and all of the eminent danger which was currently surrounding them.

"Of course it's human- _I'm_ human... A-and I don't!" she retorted. It was becoming increasingly more difficult for Hiori to keep her voice to a whisper, and she could feel the heat rising rapidly in her cheeks. "Ichigo and I don't even know each other, really, so wouldn't that be-"

"No use denying it, it's obvious now that I say it out loud." Hiori muttered something which sounded like 'dumb cat' under her breath, but continued to walk in silence behind her all the same. Yoruichi, on the other hand, seemed all too pleased with her deduction, and began humming quietly to herself as they walked. For a few more moments, all seemed to be going well... A minute later, however, Yoruichi stopped in her tracks. "Someone's coming..."

Sure enough, Hiori could instantly feel a powerful Reiatsu headed straight for them. It wasn't anything very special, or perhaps she was simply underwhelmed after being constantly exposed to Ichigo's leaking Reiryoku. What really surprised her was that she could feel anything at all, considering that prior to entering Soul Society, she had possessed no real talent for tracking or sensing Reiatsu at all.

Hiori stepped closer to the wall, pressing her back firmly against the cool gray rock. Her cloudy eyes darted all around as she felt the Reiatsu grow ever closer, but she saw no signs of movement, nor did she hear any footsteps. It felt as if the pressure was right on top of her, and she nearly stopped breathing; But still, she saw nothing. Nobody was anywhere in sight.

"Yoruichi," Hiori whispered, glancing down at her feline companion. "Do you see-"

"Well, well," said a voice, causing Hiori's heart to beat frantically against her ribcage. Her head snapped in the direction of the voice which, surprisingly, was coming from directly in front of where she was standing. A young man was crouched on the rooftop opposite of the building she was now pressed against, his messy dark hair waving in the slight breeze. He was well built, and even if he was crouched Hiori could already tell that he was at least a good three or four inches taller than she was.

Three painful looking scars- Claw marks, by the looks of them- were etched into the right side of his face. A tattoo which read '69' was tattooed on his left cheek, and Hiori vaguely recalled one of her memory flashes- A man with gray hair and the numbers '6' and '9' tattooed on his chest. He tilted his head to the side, trying to get a good look at Hiori, who was still hidden deep in the shadows of the buildings.

"I already know you're a Ryoka- I don't recognise this Reiatsu at all." he stated calmly. His voice was oddly reassuring, and Hiori soon found herself having to remind herself that he was, in fact, the enemy. "Hiding in the shadows won't help things, you know."

Hiori gulped, and she felt as if it echoed over the empty expanse of the alleyway in which she was now cornered. Her heart was beating loudly in her head, and she wondered if the man could hear it, as well. Yoruichi gently clawed her ankle with her paw, drawing her out of her mind-fogging panic and back to the troubling situation at hand. Holding back a sigh of defeat, she slowly moved out from underneath the building, and she glanced upwards to meet the eyes of her first opponent.

"It's... you..." he whispered, his eyes widening as they came to settle on her face. Hiori mentally smacked herself. It was just her luck, running into someone who probably wanted her dead on the first go-round. "Hitsugaya Hiori... It's been a long time." Hiori kept her face blank, wondering whether or not she should feel badly for not recognizing the man who stood in front of her. "So, you're here with the Ryoka? Odd, I've never really seen you ally yourself with groups of people before."

"Sorry... Who're you?" she asked nervously, glancing up at the dark haired man. He made a face, clearly confused by her apparent amnesia.

"You don't remember me, huh?" he muttered as he adjusted his position on the rooftop. "I guess that figures. You weren't really one to care for others, anyways." He let out a low chuckle while he straightened up, running his fingers through his spiky black hair. "This'll be a nasty shock to Captain Hitsugaya when he finds out you're here."

"Hitsugaya?" Hiori asked quickly, drawing closer to the man despite herself. "Are we related?"

"You don't even remember your own brother?" he asked, and Hiori's eyes widened apprehensively as he reached for his sword on his hip. "That's low, even for you, Hiori." She bit her lip, her cheeks reddening slightly at this remark. She had a brother- Family, who she didn't even remember. "Well, I suppose it'll make things easier for him when he finally runs into you. If you remembered, he might hesitate to fight you."

Hiori lowered her gray eyes to the ground, and she soon found that she had temporarily lost her voice. Her throat felt dry, swollen, and her head hurt as if she had just been clubbed up side the head with a baseball bat. For the past two years, she had assumed that all of her family was gone; The Arisawas were her family. And now that she was gone, they had forgotten her, and it was one of the worst feelings she had ever experienced. How would this brother of hers react, once he learned that his only sister had absolutely no memories of her brother what so ever?

"Hey." Hiori's eyes snapped upwards, and a moment later she was forced to gracelessly parry a surprise blow from the dark haired man. "Don't go looking away during a fight... **_Reap, Kazeshini._**"

The katana that the man had been holding in his hands changed, blue energy surrounding it as it split into two parts. The chain which connected them was held in his hand, and Hiori felt her heart beat wildly as she watched the lethal looking weapon spin around and around in the open air. This was her first time seeing a Soul Society Shinigami's Zanpakuto- It was so much different than when Ichigo brought out Zangetsu. She felt no threat from Ichigo's Zanpakuto; This one, on the other hand... _Kazeshini_ would not hesitate to slice her limb from limb.

"I don't know what you were thinking, trying to waltz back in here, Hiori," he murmured, and he finally stopped spinning his Zanpakuto, catching it in her open palm. "But I can promise you... If you survive this, I won't be the only one who comes after you."

"I'd figured that much out for myself, thanks." she replied. Keep her eyes on the man the whole time, Hiori reached behind her hips, the cool metal of the hilt of her Zanpakuto shocking her skin. The moment her palm made contact with the metal, a shaky melody filled the open air- It wasn't like the other noises she'd heard. This one sounded almost...

"You're afraid?" the man muttered, a look of surprise crossing his scarred face momentarily. "That's certainly a first." Hiori made no reply, making a mental note to smack the shit out Amaterasu for making her feelings so transparent. When fighting, she figured that it would be best to not be an open book. "Why are you here, Hiori?"

"I came to rescue someone," she said, gripping her sword tighter. The man snorted, and Hiori couldn't help the angry scowl that marred her features the next minute. "_What_? Who are you, anyways? How do you know me?" The man chuckled as he took another step closer to her.

"Hisagi Shuuhei, Ninth Division Vice Captain." he said slowly. "You don't even remember that? Then, I should tell you this... You won't be able to defeat me without releasing your Shikai, at least," Hiori's eyes widened, unable to react as the man who called himself Shuuhei swung his Zanpakuto over her shoulder, bringing it down with a surprising amount of force. She let out a strangled cry, clutching her shoulder with her hand as the blood seeped through her skin. "What? You won't even defend yourself?"

Hiori growled, ignoring the pain in her shoulder as best she could and charging head on towards her opponent; But no sooner was she sure that she had him, he was gone, and the next moment she felt a sickeing pain as his Zanpakuto cut through the already open wounds on her bare back. Pain stung her nerves and coursed through her body, and it was all she could do to keep herself standing upright.

"Is this really it?" Shuuhei muttered, swinging his Zanpakuto carefully by its chain. "After you left, I heard so much about you, your powers, your_ talent_. Is this really all there is to the famed Hitsugaya-Hentai?" Blood dripped from between her open lips, spraying the stone pathway each time Hiori let out a breath. He was taunting her, she knew, but she could barely move her body through the pain.

'Don't just let him win, Hiori...'

The rattle of a chain reached her ears, and Hiori ducked merely instinctively; The next minute, she learned that her instincts seemed to be exactly right. Shuuhei's Zanpakuto hung in the air, exactly where her head had been seconds ago. Sweeping her feet around, Hiori turned so that she was now facing her opponent, but her blow was blocked by the other half of his Zanpakuto. The screaching sound of metal on metal was made no better by the loud wailing of her Zanpakuto, but it no longer sounded as weak as it had a few minutes ago.

"**_Thaw, Amaterasu_**!" Hiori cried. Shuuhei was pushed back by the force of her release, and Hiori squinted her eyes against the stinging winds that were now whipping around her. Shuuhei's eyes widened, taking in the appearance of Hiori's Shikai before bringing his gaze back down to meet hers.

"Do you fear your Zanpakuto, Hiori?" he asked, and Hiori felt her grip unconsciously tighten around her Zanpakuto's hilt. She bit her lip, slowly running her eyes along the length of her sword. She _did_ fear Amaterasu. There was no denying that, every time she wielded her Zanpakuto, she felt fear. She even felt fear from just being around her Zanpakuto spirit; An entity that represented the lasting connection between the _Hitsugaya Hiori_ she had once been, and the _Hitsugaya Hiori_ she was now.

"... Yes..." she said softly, and in her mind's eye she could almost see Amaterasu's cold eyes narrow. "I guess I do."

"Now, it seems, we are even." Hiori looked up, meaning to question him as to why fearing Amaterasu made them even in battle at all- But she was cut off as his Zanpakuto once again made contact with hers. Acting on a whim, Hiori pushed herself into the air, swinging her left foot in a roundhouse kick. A dull _thump_ sound met her ears as her ankle made contact with the side of Shuuhei's face; Hiori hadn't even realized how fast she had been moving.

An upward jab from Shuuhei's Zanpakuto drew Hiori out of her daze, and she suddenly felt all of her energy rushing to her feet. A moment later she was gone, Kazeshini slicing through the open air where her body had once been, as Hiori herself reappeared directly behind Shuuhei. The metallic clang of her Zanpakuto grinding against his filled her ears, and no matter how much she felt that she _could_ have the upper hand, she just couldn't force her mind to concentrate.

Thoughts of her brother were racing through her mind non-stop. What had he been like? Had she actually been close to him, or had their only tie been by blood? And how could she forget someone who was so important so quickly? Her distraction showed, and the next moment she felt searing pain as Kazeshini cut through the skin of her upper arm.

"Don't underestimate me, Hiori." Shuuhei said darkly while watching as Hiori clutched desperately at her arm. "A lot's changed since you left; After all, I was only in the academy then."

She gritted her teeth, arms shaking as she struggled to keep him as far away from her as possible, but nothing seemed to be working. Every strike, he avoided, and the opposite could be said for her. Blood seeped from multiple wounds, her skin sliced open in too many places to count. She knew this was her fault... She felt as if she wasn't even trying anymore.

'_Would you like some help, Hiori-chan?_'

Hiori's blood froze. The echoing voice of the black haired woman filled her mind; There was no mistaking it. Nervously, she glanced down at her Zanpakuto, half expecting for it to suddenly change shape. After all, hearing her voice now could mean that she had once again taken posession of her Zanpakuto Spirit. Suddenly remembering where she was, Hiori moved her eyes upward just in time to stop a heavy blow from Shuuhei.

Sparks flew through the air, and Hiori suddenly felt as if she were falling in slow motion. Shuuhei's face was calm, level, calculating, but it somehow seemed to be growing farther and farther away. At first, she suspected heavy blood loss was the source of her sudden delirium, but those suspicions were instantly pushed aside as she saw something black crawl across her eyes, and heard the echoing snicker of the black haired woman from her subconsciousness. Then she was falling...

Falling...

Falling...

She could feel her body moving, but she wasn't the one who was telling it to move. She could feel her mouth moving, but the words coming out weren't ones that she wanted to say. She tried to move, but when she looked up, she realized that heavy black hand cuffs were suspending her from the top of the Maze of her inner world. She looked down, past the upside down walls that surrounded her, watching as Amaterasu gazed up at her from in the middle of the Maze below.

"Wh-why am I here?" she asked, and even as she spoke she could hear her own voice shaking. "What's happening ou-outside?" Amaterasu smiled a small, sad smile.

"She took over..."

"Who is she?" Hiori demanded, trying her best to make her voice as assertive as possible; Even as she said this, she felt warm, salty tears drip down her cheeks, and she knew that she must look so pitiful. "Why is she taking my body?"

"Things are much more complicated than you make them out to be, you know,"

"Well then explain it to me!" she bellowed. Her wrists throbbed, and she felt as if one wrong move could snap the bones in her wrists. "Who is that woman?"

"That's your Hollow." Hiori froze. Even her tears seemed to have stopped in their tracks. Was her heart even beating? She couldn't tell. To her left she heard the cracking of rock, and the next moment a few drops of the demonic liquid on the Outside seeped into the Maze.

"H-Hollow...?" she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth between Amaterasu and the gooey black substance. "How... Why is she here? How do I have a Hollow _inside_ of me?" She remembered all of those creatures she had seen and fought with back in the human world. The ones who had tried to eat people's souls, like the one who had eaten Ichigo's mother. Something like _that_ was inside of her? "It... That's not... Not possible..."

"She has a greater hold on you than you know." Amaterasu murmured. He looked so sad, so broken, his blue eyes not nearly as bright as they normally were. All of the playfulness was gone from him. Hiori parted her lips, set on asking more questions, but the next moment her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she could suddenly see everything outside.

"Are the rest of them here, too?" Shuuhei asked. He was breathing quite heavily now, multiple wounds on his body spewing blood with every move that he made. Hollow Hiori chuckled darkly, and Hiori realized that there was something covering the top right side of her face that she couldn't see. Whatever it was, it only seemed to be getting bigger.

"**Of course they're not!**" Hollow Hiori replied, her voice sounding strangely warped. Hiori desperately wanted to ask _who_ was supposedly here with her, but no matter how hard she tried, her lips were no longer obeying her commands.

"So, you ended up screwing Kensei over, after all..." he muttered, and Hiori felt herself beginning to panic. He was dying... She was killing him.

"**I was just having fun.**" Hollow Hiori said, twirling her Zanpakuto around her fingers as she stepped closer to the wounded Shuuhei. The ease with which she handled Amaterasu sent a pang through Hiori's heart- He was _her_ Zanpakuto. Not this... This _thing's_. He didn't belong to her, so why was she able to handle him so easily? "**I never made any promises. He took things too far... He was being naive.**"

"I always wondered why he even bothered with you." he said, coughing up blood in the process. "He was never one to put up with people like you."

_Who is Kensei?_ Hiori called, but her own voice simply echoed through her mind, instead of coming out of her mouth. Hollow Hiori laughed, almost bitterly, throwing her head back and sighing contentedly.

"**He wanted to _save_ me, he said.**" she explained. Hiori watched as Shuuhei began to edge closer to the end of the building, and she finally realized what he was up to; He was doing his best to keep Hollow Hiori talking. "**As if _I_ needed saving. Especially not by someone like him,**" Shuuhei seemed to bristle at the comment, knitting his eyebrows together angrily.

"Kensei was a good guy. He shouldn't have wasted his time on someone like you."

"**Damn straight.**" Hollow Hiori replied, taking several more steps closer to Shuuhei. Hiori tugged frantically on her chains, which were binding her within her inner world. She had to stop this. "**Maybe if he hadn't let it get to him, he would still be here. Looks like he really was weak, after all.**"

Shuuhei spat blood in her direction, and Hiori felt as it splattered against her right cheek. "Fuck... You... She chuckled, wiping the blood away, and Hiori's eyes widened as she watched her own Zanpakuto plunge deep into Shuuhei's side. This was _her_ body. She couldn't just stand by and idly watch as some creature took her over completely. This wasn't happening...

"**You always did follow him around... Always looked up to him... I guess that means you're weak, too.**"

_No... No, no, no, NO!_

_NO!_

A resounding crack met Hiori's ears, like a clap of thunder, and she could feel her inner world shake all around her. The chain that held her, suspended, within the Maze snapped, and she soon found herself plummeting towards the ground. Closer... Closer... Closer...

_Go away..._

"**... What the-?**" Hiori could feel herself again. Her heart beating in her ears, her blood rushing through her veins. "**No. You're not supposed to be-**"

_I said, go away!_

With an enormous effort, Hiori dragged her hand up to her face, grasping something that felt almost like clay and pulling with all her might. She felt herself screaming in pain and anger, though she herself felt neither of these things. She kept pulling as hard as she could, ripping the Hollow mask away from her face with all of her might. Finally, it shattered, the bone white pieces scattering through the open air, and the blackness that had clouding her vision was suddenly lifted.

Shuuhei was staring up at her, the rusty tang of blood filling the air as it pooled around his legs. His breathing was ragged, shaky, just barely there. His eyes were still locked on Hiori as she slumped to the ground, dropping her bloody Zanpakuto to the ground as she pressed her palms roughly to her eyes. She felt completely useless- She was crying again.

"I... I'm so- so sorry..." she choked out. Shuuhei merely coughed in response, and Hiori suddenly felt something furry brush against her side. Yoruichi now stood beside her, wise yellow eyes staring up at her in a way that was more caring than calculating.

"I thought we'd lost you there for a moment," she muttered, her gravely voice soothing Hiori's nerves, which felt as though they were on fire. She wasn't in pain- Her wounds had been miraculously healed, but she felt that she hardly deserved such a thing. The man in front of her was dying. _She_ had done this to him, no matter how much she wanted to blame it solely on her Hollow self.

"Hiori..." he coughed, pushing himself up carefully as Yoruichi took a few steps towards him. "You... Different... What...?"

"I'll heal him, Hiori," Yoruichi murmured. Blue light surrounded her momentarily, and she soon emerged in her true form. Shuuhei seemed to care less about the sudden nudity, and was instead staring only at Hiori; He didn't even look up as Yoruichi began healing his wounds.

"You're different..." he whispered. His eyes held confusion, but that was the only thing Hiori could see beneath the pain that clouded them. "What happened to you?"

"... I forgot." she said finally, her gray eyes meeting his briefly. She took a shaky breath, steadying herself before continuing. "I know... That I'm in no position to ask favors of you." Shuuhei arched an eyebrow, and Hiori was relieved to find that Yoruichi's healing seemed to be doing its job. His senses were quickly returning.

"A favor..."

"Don't tell my brother that I'm here." she said quickly. "I'd... I'd like to meet him as I am now, not as 'Hitsugaya-Hentai'."

"Same thing."

"They aren't, though." she replied. They weren't the same at all. Hitsugaya-Hentai seemed more like her Hollow self. _She_ was Hitsugaya-Hentai, not her. She was just Hiori. "I just... Want to meet him." Shuuhei sighed heavily as Yoruichi reverted back to her cat form, though his legs were still too shaky to stand. "Please."

"You really don't remember a thing, huh?" Hiori shook her head vigorously, and Shuuhei instantly frowned. "You seemed to remember plenty when you were fighting me back there."

"You don't understand, that was..." She trailed off slowly, her words suddenly failing her. What _was _that thing, exactly. How could she explain, when even she didn't understand all that had happened. "Was not me." she finished lamely. She knew Shuuhei wouldn't really buy it- Hell, _she_ didn't buy it.

"... What are you?"

"Couldn't tell you." Hiori replied as she ran her fingers through her long red hair. The pain from the physical strain of her fight, both mental and physical, was still ebbing away, though all physical wounds seemed to have been completely healed. Hiori suddenly snapped to attention, loud voices reaching her ears, along with loud footsteps headed in her direction.

"There was a strong Reiatsu here somewhere, it was probably those Ryoka!" someone called. Hiori swore under her breath, grabbing Yoruichi and Amaterasu before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Hiori." a calm voice said, causing her to pause just as she was rounding the corner. Shuuhei was peering lazily over his shoulder, calm black eyes searching hers for a moment before speaking. "Just this one favor, right?" Hiori smiled, squeezing Yoruichi closer to her chest despite herself.

"Thank you." The man rolled his eyes, groaning loudly as he pushed himself upwards.

"You better go..."

Hiori nodded, turning swiftly on her heel and barreling off down the stone pathway. Yoruichi squirmed from her grasp, climbing onto her shoulders as she ran, and brought her mouth closer to Hiori's ear.

"You did good, kiddo," she whispered, and Hiori hummed slightly to herself, darting into yet another alleyway. Her shoes scuffed against the stone as she continued to navigate the maze that was Soul Society, reaching out with her mind as she attempted to get ahold of any familiar Reiatsu. She smiled slightly as Kuukaku's words the night before suddenly came flooding into her mind, and she leaned against the stone wall momentarily to catch her breath. Perhaps she really was someone who was worth saving, now.

* * *

><p><strong>**** I got a tumblr account. This way, I can post pictures of what the OCs are supposed to look like. So far only Hiori in her Soul Reaper form is up, but more will come soon. The address is on my profile, or here:<strong>

.com/**  
><strong>

**First actual chapter in Soul Society! Fight scenes have always been pretty difficult for me to write, so I really hope this one turned out all right. **

**A little more about Hiori's past is revealed here (even if it isn't very specific), and we learn a little more about Hollow Hiori. Again, if any of you reviewers/readers read Deadman Wonderland, I'd love to see if you can guess which character I used as inspiration for Hiori! **

**Thanks for all of the reviews and feedback from last chapter- I really appreciate it!**


	21. Part 2: The Vessel and the Water

_..._

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><p>"Admiration is the furthest from understanding."<p>

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><p><em>The gradually darkening sky cast shadows around the small room, illuminating only a few choice areas with the last remaining rays of light. Towards the center of the room was a small bed, set up neatly on the floor. A man with gray hair and ear piercings pushed himself up right, the covers falling off of his upper half as he did so, revealing a tattoo which read '69' on his chest.<em>

_"It's getting late, you know," he said softly as he nudged someone next to him. A groan was heard from his other side, and a sleepy looking girl peered over her shoulder where she lay, her expression clearly indicating that she did not appreciate being woken up._

_"It's none of your business." she said flatly before rolling over to face him. She kept the sheets drawn up as far as possible, the only part of her body visible being her head and bare shoulders. The man frowned._

_"You're saying you'd be fine with loosing your Vice Captain position?" he asked, and the girl muttered something incoherent in her throat. "If you actually tried, you could succeed Kuchiki Genrei as Captain of the Sixth Division."_

_"I try just fine, Kensei, get off my back." Kensei was silent for a moment, watching as the sangria haired girl by his side began to doze off once again. He reached down, tracing her shoulder blades with the tip of his finger. A few strands of hair fell over his hand, and he brushed them away; He did so slowly, cautiously, as if afraid he would scare her off if he did anything too quickly._

_"... Why do you act like this, Hiori?" he muttered darkly, and the girl beside of him suddenly drew away from his touch._

_"I don't _act_ any sort of way." she snapped harshly. "This is just me, you stupid bastard."_

_"You're saying that killing your entire squad is just 'being you'?" Hiori flinched slightly, but the movement was not big enough to go noticed by the silver haired man on her left._

_"Those fuckheads had it coming," she replied angrily, rolling over on her stomach and peering up at Kensei. "They weren't going to let me live it down... It wasn't my fault, I got distracted." She paused for a moment, gauging Kensei's reaction to her words carefully before continuing. "Besides, they were going to laugh at me for losing."_

_"They weren't laughing when you killed them."_

_"Damn straight." Hiori said sourly. "That shut them up good." Kensei shut his eyes for a moment, a pained expression crossing his face for a moment. When he reopened them, he was met with the gaze of Hiori, curiosity filling her cloudy gray eyes as she watched him closely._

_"... You're a good person under all that hate, aren't you?" he whispered. Hiori flared instantly, a feral look coming to her eyes more quickly than Kensei had anticipated; He barreled on nonetheless. "You're just... Hiori, you don't have to be this way."_

_"Be _what_ way, Kensei?" she spat, baring her teeth, almost snarling at the man beside of her. "I don't want anything like that from you, okay? I don't need your help."_

_"Hiori, you know I know that there's more to you than this-"_

_"Shut up!" she screamed, sitting bolt right up in the bed. Despite the cool gray color of her eyes, they seemed to be on fire, rage and hatred flowing through them freely. "This _thing_ of ours, I don't need it. I don't need you to 'save' me, Kensei!" The man narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'm not sorry that I killed those people, and I'm not sorry if you don't like that. I don't need you; I don't need anyone!"_

_"What about your broth-"_

_"I said shut up, Kensei!" Hiori bellowed. "I chose you because I thought you'd be the least likely to go putting your nose in my business- I made a mistake. Get out." The two locked eyes for several minutes, Hiori breathing heavily from her outburst. "I don't need this. I don't need _you_." In one fluid motion Kensei stood up, slipping on his hakama and Captain's jacket quickly before heading for the door._

_Hiori curled up, resting her chin on her knees as she waited for him to leave. At the door he paused, his hand resting on the side of the sliding doors that lead to the balcony outside of Hiori's room._

_"You are so broken."_

_The red haired girl simply stared, unable to form words as Kensei slid the door closed behind him. Hiori waited, straining her ears to hear his footsteps until he rounded the corner. She bit her lip angrily, reaching for the black shirt beside her bed and slipping it over her bare body. Clenching her fists in an attempt to quell her anger, she glanced at the clock. It was six in the afternoon... She'd have time to sleep. Captain Kuchiki could wait. She sighed heavily, gripping fist-fulls of her carmine locks as she touched her forehead to her knees._

_"... Shit."_

_-:-_

Hiori's eyes snapped open. Glancing around, she found that she was no longer within the room that she had been in in her dream, but was instead inside a small shack similar to the one she and Yoruichi had taken refuge in on their first day in Soul Society. She rubbed her eyes, attempting to force out the afterimage of the gray haired man, which seemed to be burned into her sockets.

"... Kensei..." she muttered softly, mulling the name over in her mind for several seconds. He had been mentioned to her only once before, and she herself possessed no real memories of him. But this brief recollection, along with one of her memory-flashes from when she first came into Soul Society, told her that he had probably played some important roll in her life before.

"Morning, sunshine." said a voice, and Hiori snapped her head around so quickly that she nearly got whiplash. The person who had spoken was, obviously, Yoruichi, but somehow Hiori had almost thought that the man called Kensei was still with her. It was an odd, finding out how close you had been to somebody you had no memories of... Though, when she thought about it, Hiori figured that you could hardly call what they had had 'closeness'. Perhaps it had been that way for Kensei... But not for Hitsugaya-Hentai.

"Hey, you. Stop spacing." Yoruichi commanded loudly, ripping Hiori from her thoughts rather forcefully. "Now isn't the time to be daydreaming." Hiori smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Yoruichi." she muttered, standing up and stretching. She could barely remember falling asleep, and her feet were still sore from all of the running she had done the day before. She carefully tied Amaterasu around her hips, sinching the blood red sash as close to her hips as she could. "You wouldn't happen to have a plan, would you?"

"Not particularly." Yoruichi replied stiffly, padding closer to Hiori while still in cat form. "You ruined my last one; I figured having any sort of plan was going to be useless with you." Hiori rolled her eyes. Despite Yoruichi's usually calm demeanor, Hiori had to marvel at the cat-woman's ability to hold a grudge. "We should definitely try to find the others, though."

"They could be anywhere- It seems almost impossible." Hiori carefully cracked the door open, peering out and looking around the pathways of Soul Society. "And I'm not too good at sensing Reiatsu, as you well know."

"You're getting better... It's odd, we haven't done much training with that." she said, saying the last part mostly to herself. "I don't understand how you're managing to improve..." Hiori shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant about it, but in truth she had been wondering that very thing. Ever since Hollow Hiori had began making regular appearances in her Inner world, Hiori could feel strength growing within her; And it scared her.

"Stop _daydreaming_, Yoruichi," Hiori taunted, smirking down at the black cat as she pulled the door all the way open. "We've got stuff to take care of."

"Don't test me, Hiori." Yoruichi warned, though she still followed her through the open door. The crisp morning air washed over Hiori's skin, which welcomed the cooling moisture, soaking it up eagerly. Hiori took a deep breath, temporarily forgetting that she was in the middle of Soul Society, which had turned out to be much more dangerous than she had previously anticipated. "Let's not get distracted... We need to find Ichigo."

Navigating through Soul Society was nerve wrecking at best, and even though Hiori never found herself panicking, she couldn't help it when her heart nearly jumped out of her chest every time that she heard footsteps. Any person that she ran into here could hold a grudge against her, any person here could want her dead. After hours of slinking through back alleys and dodging squads of unseated Shinigami, it was all beginning to become too much for Hiori.

"Screw this," she muttered, darting in front of Yoruichi and rounding the corner.

"Hiori!" Yoruichi hissed, sprinting after her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Hiori didn't answer for a moment, instead climbing onto the roof of one of the buildings. Yoruichi followed her, a sour look marring her face, the fur on her back standing on end. "Hey, Hiori, don't ignore me! We don't have time for this."

"Yoruichi, where d'you think Captains would be?" she asked suddenly, gray eyes meeting yellow. Yoruichi stiffened for a moment, eyeing the red head suspiciously before answering.

"... Captains stay with their divisions, though they have their own private quarters." she replied finally, watching Hiori's expression carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to see my brother." she answered, not sounding nervous about it at all. Yoruichi spluttered, and she had half a mind to smack the sangria haired girl across the face. For someone who was a good thousand years old, minimum, she was surprisingly childish, she thought. "What?"

"... You have got to be one of the stupidest people I have ever met." she snapped, her ears pressed flat against her head in annoyance. "We can't just go watzing into Captains' quarters, and even if we could, we don't have _time_." Hiori glared down at the angry feline, a look that almost resembled a pout decorating her face. "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"Not really, no." she retorted. "What's the big deal? We sneak in, we sneak out, we kick the asses of anyone who gets in our way!"

"You nearly lost to Hisagi Shuuhei yesterday. If it wasn't for that Hollow of yours, you'd be dead." Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and Yoruichi nodded solemnly. "Yes. I know about Hollow Hiori... I also know that you can't control her, yet." Yoruichi's voice was level, but her eyes were shaking with anticipation, as if she were half expecting for Hollow Hiori to take over that very moment. "I'm not going to risk that Hollow going ape shit in the middle of a Captain's barracks and attracting attention. I won't allow it."

Hiori stayed silent for a long time, her eyes locked with the yellow orbs of the cat standing in front of her. As much as she wanted to agree with Yoruichi, she didn't want to give up that easily. She had a brother, _family_, a blood relative here who she had yet to meet... To remember. She knew that what Yoruichi said was true, but she at least wanted to see her brother. What he looked like. Who he was.

'Reach out for him.'

Amaterasu's voice filled her mind, echoing through her consciousness. Hiori took a deep breath, allowing her eyes to roll into the back of her head; Yoruichi was asking her something, but she couldn't hear her. She could feel hundreds of different Reiatsu all around her. She could even feel her own... Then, out of the seemingly millions of unimportant Reiatsu, no matter how strong they were, she found it. She couldn't remember ever feeling it before, and she couldn't explain how she knew that it was his, but as soon as she felt it she knew. Her eyes snapped open, her head now turned in the direction in which she had sensed the Reiatsu, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I- Hiori... Hiori, I said no!" Yoruichi called, leaping forward in an attempt to keep Hiori from jumping to the next roof; But she was too late. "Damn." she muttered, watching with narrowed eyes as Hiori skillfully utilized Shunpo to get from one rooftop to another. She sighed heavily with defeat, and the next moment she, too, was jumping from roof to roof, following closely in Hiori's footsteps.

* * *

><p>"... Hiori, how did you know this was where he would be?" Yoruichi whispered. She was perched precariously on the red head's shoulder, her whiskers tickling her ear with every move her mouth made.<p>

"I felt his Reiatsu."

"You don't know what his Reiatsu feels like." Yoruichi reminded her, staring up at the sign for the tenth division on the outside of the building. "You don't even know this boy's name."

"Oh... Right, yeah, what _is_ his name?" she asked, meeting Yoruichi's eyes momentarily. The cat rolled her eyes, digging her claws into Hiori's shoulder despite herself. Hiori was being much too carefree.

"Make this quick, Hiori."

"But you didn't answer-"

"I _said_, make it quick."

Hiori finally subsided, glancing down from her perch on the roof of one of the buildings that made up the compound of the Tenth Division. It all seemed so quiet... Too quiet. No unseated Shinigami running around, no frantic calls, no nothing. Hiori bit her lip nervously, pondering the troubling situation at hand. If _she_ could sense her brother, it wasn't out of the question that he also already knew that she was here. Had he set up a trap of some sort? Did he plan on catching her? She hesitated, deliberating on whether or not she could really risk jumping into the middle of a Divison compound with absolutely no back up.

"Ryoka?" Hiori jumped, though the voice itself sounded almost calm. Her bones seemed to be frozen in place, and even as she watched she could see her hands shaking. Yoruichi hissed loudly, jumping off of Hiori's shoulder too swiftly for her eyes to follow.

"What... What is this...?" she choked out, wide gray eyes meeting yellow.

"Hiori, _run_!"

"No use now, Ryoka. I couldn't allow myself to let you get away so easily." said the voice. Slowly, as slow as possible, Hiori peered over her shoulder. The face that she met in no way dignified the intense fear that she was feeling; A kind, smiling face, framed by brown hair and accented with thick-rimmed black glasses. Nothing about this man screamed 'I'm a monster. Run.' But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself not to be afraid of this man, she could not quell the fear rising within her; It was like bile, rising up her throat and threatening to force its way out. She couldn't speak, and she couldn't breath.

"Ah... A familiar face." said the man. He was keeping his hands resting inside of the sleeves of his hakama, much like the way that Urahara did. "This is quite an unexpected turn of events."

Hiori pushed herself up from the roof, struggling to keep her face as blank as possible while reaching for her Zanpakuto. No sooner had her palm made contact with the hilt, however, she realized that keeping a straight face was completely meaningless; The sad melody that Amaterasu was now humming seemed to say '_Please, just let me live_'. The man chuckled softly.

"Afraid? That's quite pitiful, you know." Despite herself, Hiori glowered. She had never been able to take teasing from others very well.

"Wh... Who are you?" she whispered. She spoke slowly, keeping her voice from stuttering as much as she possibly could.

"What's this?" he said, astonishment making its way across his face. "You've forgotten me so quickly, Hitsugaya-chan. I'm rather hurt." Hiori gritted her teeth, clenching her hands tighter around the handle of her Zanpakuto. This man was taking things far too slowly... It was wreaking havoc on her nerves. Perhaps that was his goal. "It seems that you've also forgotten how to fight properly."

Gray eyes widened, and Hiori heard a sickening snap as something ripped its way through her ribcage. Glancing down, she touched the tip of the katana with the fingertips of her free hand, tracing the bloodied point carefully. She looked back up, blinking her eyes as they began to go hazy. If she was being stabbed, how was the man still in front of her? It just didn't add up.

"It's not as if you will manage to survive this. I can use 'Perfect Hypnosis' on you." he said softly while taking a few steps closer. "You won't tell anyone, will you, Hitsugaya-chan? You see, it's troubling to have you here... Are the others here as well?"

Hiori couldn't think clearly at all. Her mind was going foggy from the pain in her right side, and no matter what she did she couldn't think of a way out of the situation. She was going to die. She struggled to focus on his question... Them... She parted her lips, saying the first thing that popped into her head.

"... Kensei...?" she whispered, and the man arched an eyebrow carefully.

"Muguruma-kun is here, as well?" he questioned, but Hiori no longer had the power to focus on any one word that he was saying. They were all running together, her cloudy mind unable to process words, letters, or sentences. A strangled groan escaped her throat, and she could feel the blood bubbling between her lips... A small sound, like a bell, filled her mind. A single chime.

She opened her eyes. Her own stared back at her. Those same cloudy gray eyes, like stormy weather, regarding her in a way that was oddly kind. The girl was dressed all in white, but her complexion was not like Hollow Hiori's. She looked human.

"You have to wake up, Hiori-chan." she said softled, touching the palm of her hand to Hiori's cheek. Hiori wanted to flinch away, afraid of what sort of demon this girl might be. She glanced around her inner world, but she saw no signs of Hollow Hiori or Amaterasu. "Who am I, right?" she asked, and Hiori's eyes snapped back to meet hers. She smiled again, withdrawing her hand before continuing. "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

"... Am I dead?" Hiori asked, patting her side where her wound had been. It was still tingling. Other Hiori shook her head slowly, her long red locks draping over her shoulders neatly. Hiori could feel no evil aura, no anger, no hate. Not like when she was faced with Hollow Hiori. "Then why am I here?"

"You think you come here when you die?" Other Hiori asked, laughing softly at the thought. "How bleak... You're here because you are weak." Hiori frowned. She knew that. She didn't need some weird Alternate Self telling her; Someone saying such a thing so blatantly only succeeded in making her angry. "Don't be angry with me, Hiori-chan. It isn't entirely your fault."

"Who else would be at fault?" Hiori asked sourly, folding her arms across her chest. Another pang shot through her body from where her wound had been.

"Me, of course." she replied. "And Hollow, too, I suppose. Though she is more like the one _responsible_ than the one at _fault_." Hiori groaned tiredly.

"Another one... Great, just great." she muttered, exasperated. "Just how many other me's are there? Just go ahead and tell me, it'd be nice to be prepared." The girl laughed, and Hiori couldn't help but glare at her.

"No more." she said in a reassuring voice. "But the one who's really in the way is you, Hiori-chan." Hiori raised her eyebrows, taken aback by this.

"What?"

"Haven't you ever wondered, Hiori-chan, why it is that you can't properly wield or control you Zanpakuto?"

"You mean Amaterasu?"

"... Yes, I suppose we could call him that for now." she replied cryptically. Hiori's scowl deepened, wondering just what 'for now' was supposed to entail. "Well, haven't you?" Hiori shrugged, figuring that Other Hiori would continue explaining whether she replied or not. "It's because you're empty."

"Excuse me?" Hiori snapped, and Other Hiori hummed a tune deep within her throat.

"Well, no, not _empty_. One can hardly be empty with two souls, I suppose..." she muttered, and Hiori got the feeling that she was talking more to herself than to her. "But you, Hiori-chan, are merely a shade. A vessel, let's call you... Yes, that seems like the right word."

"... Can I just say... What the actual fuck?" Hiori felt her temper rise dangerously. This was her inner world, and now some Alternate version of her was just prancing in here and saying whatever she damn well pleased. The girl pressed her mouth in a firm line.

"Such a short temper, and we're not even fighting... It's my fault, I didn't wake up early enough." she murmured thoughtfully. "I've let Hollow get a grip on you."

"Stop saying cryptic stuff if you aren't going to explain." Hiori snapped as Other Hiori continued to ramble on quietly about Hollow Hiori. Her large innocent eyes met Hiori's, holding her gaze with her own almost effortlessly. Hiori could feel herself being drawn to her, even though she didn't have any reason to be.

"You're like an empty glass, Hiori-chan." she said finally. "You're useless if you aren't filled with something, you know. What's the use of a glass if it can't hold water, after all."

"I'm guessing you're the water in the scenario?" Hiori replied, gesturing in Other Hiori's direction lazily.

"It's not entirely up to me. It's up to you, too... And Hollow, of course, but even though she talks big, she's not really one to follow through."

"You talk about her as if she's actually got a personality." Hiori said, remembering the pure rage and bloodlust that had filled her body and mind while her Hollow had been in control.

"Well, of course she does." Other Hiori replied. "She doesn't simply exist for the sake of existing."

Hiori glanced around her inner world once more. Her eyes came to rest on a dark haired boy, who sat leaning against the wall farthest from her. His bright blue eyes regarded her coolly, completely unfazed by the fact that there were, currently, two of her within her inner world. She also noticed that, unlike her other visits to her inner world, it was completely stable. No shaking, no breaking, and no demonic ooze seeping through the cracks. She slowly shifted her eyes back towards her Alternate, looking her over apprehensively. Did the stability of her inner world have something to do with this girl.

"Who is 'Hollow'?"

For a moment, the girl was silent, and the pain within Hiori's side suddenly increased. She reached for her ribcage, and when she drew her hand away, she saw that it was covered in blood. Her eyes widened, and she gazed back down to where her wound was. It was slowly opening, and Hiori watched, horrified, as the skin seemed to break apart on its very own. She was waking up.

"She's the 'Hiori-chan' who got eaten during your Hollowfication." she replied finally, smiling sadly. Hiori coughed wildly, trying her best to clear her throat of blood, desperately wanting to ask more questions.

"W-wait! Hollowfication- What- That... What is..." She could feel her lungs closing up, and she could no longer see clearly. Other Hiori smiled again, and she reached out to stroke the top of Hiori's head.

"Don't worry... For now, I'll be your water..."

...

Bright morning sun scorched Hiori's eyes as she opened them, the sickening pain in her right side sending a shock through her nervous system. Beside her, she could still feel the presence of the man who had attacked her, and she bit her lip as she felt his sword slip out of her side.

"Interesting... Somehow, I remember you being stronger."

Hiori's eyes widened, and she suddenly felt the air rushing by her. When she next blinked, she was behind the brown haired man, the pain in her side suddenly going numb. Amaterasu's fearful melody had ended, and in its place there was a calm, eerie call- Almost like white noise static. The man peered over his shoulder, still smiling, though in his eyes Hiori could somehow tell that he was worried.

"Yet another sound I have never heard from that Zanpakuto of yours." he murmured, gripping his katana tighter. "This is quite troubling, I did not intend for you to survive that..."

Hiori smiled, and with another Shunpo she found herself on the man's right side, the metallic clang of sword on sword filling her ears. She felt calm, in control... She felt _great_. The man continued to smile kindly as Hiori pushed him away roughly, sending him flying backwards down the rooftop. The next second he was gone, and Hiori swiftly swivveled on her toes, meeting his sword with hers just in time. He grunted in the back of his throat with effort, but Hiori narrowed her eyes all the same; He was holding back. Holding back _a lot_. He was _humoring_ her.

Blood sprayed through the air, and the man's kind smile was once again in place as Hiori's blood splattered his white Captain's jacket. Hiori's wide eyes were locked with his as he continued to smile, withdrawing his blade from within her body and whipping it through the air to remove the excess blood.

"It's too bad. You used to be a stunning Shinigami."

"Was I?"

The man's eyes widened, still locked on the dying girl in front of him. It had not been her lips that had moved. Slowly, he peered over his shoulder, his brown eyes coming to rest on a tall figure on the opposite end of the rooftop. Her long red hair fluttered in the breeze, the enormous silhoutte of her Shikai catching the light. A moment later, the bleeding Hiori shone bright blue with Reiatsu, condesning into a ball of light and racing back into the jagged split down the center of Amaterasu's blade.

"Ah... I'd forgotten about that move." the man said thoughtfully, his expression changing as if regarding Hiori in a new way. "It seems that I have underestimated you, Hitsugaya-chan..."

"Maybe." Hiori mused as her sword returned to its sealed state. The padding of paw told her that Yoruichi was approaching, and she crouched to the ground to allow the large cat to clamber onto her shoulders. "But I really can't win against you..." Hiori searched her mind, and quicker than she had expected, her consciousness supplied her with the name she was searching for. "Aizen Soskue."

Wind whipped around her, and she felt Yoruichi digging her claws into her flesh as she used Shunpo, leaving behind Aizen Soskue and the Tenth Division barracks. She could no longer sense her brother's Reiatsu there. A sudden flare of Reiatsu far in the distance caused her to pause on top of another roof, and she gazed out in the direction from which it had come.

"Yoruichi," she murmured, glancing over at the black cat. "I found Ichigo."

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><p><strong>Second fight in Soul Society! If any of you have noticed, I've used quotes at the top of each chapter of the person that she will end up fighting in that chapter. Last chapter had a quote from Shuuhei at the top, this one is Aizen's.<strong>

**In this chapter, Hiori discovers yet another side of her that is also residing within her inner world/subconscious. Other Hiori, as opposed to Hollow Hiori, is calm and peaceful. Even though she wears all white, she does not bear the same appearance as Hollow Hiori. She also mentions that Hollow Hiori is what remains of the original 'Hiori-chan', who was consumed during Hollowfication, something that Hiori has yet to remember or understand. I tried to explain it as best I could while still being cryptic- Sorry if it's confusing!**

**I finally introduced Hiori's first full-fledged memory of what she was like during her time in Soul Society, this particular one occuring an hour or so before the very first chapter of this story occured. It also kind of explains what Shuuhei was saying about Kensei and Hiori's relationship in the last chapter, and shows what Hiori's personality was like before she was 'eaten' by her Hollow.**

**I also wanted her to come across as being a little bit stronger in this chapter, so I let her manage to hold her own for a few moments against Aizen. Also, I'd like to make it clear that I did not make Aizen go all out (using Perfect Hypnosis) because he thinks Hiori is stronger or something, because she definitely isn't. Pretty sure Aizen is like one of the strongest people ever. He did it so he could finish her off quickly, and also because she was one of the victims of his conspiracy involving the Hollowfications 110 years ago.**

**Thanks for all of the reviews last chapter, they're much appreciated! And again, I have a picture of Hiori on my tumblr, which is posted on my profile! Read and Review, please!**


	22. Part 2: The Taboo and You

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><p>"The time you implement your greatest technique is the time of greatest crisis. This too is an inviolable law of battle."<p>

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><p>Hot evening sun beat down mercilessly on the back of Hiori's neck. She could feel the beads of sweat dripping down her skin, but she now found that there was hardly any point in wiping it away. Both she and Yoruichi had been running through Soul Society for about three or more straight hours now, and by now they had become hopelessly lost. Ichigo's powerful burst of Reiatsu had faded as quickly as it had appeared, and with out it, Hiori didn't have any idea where to turn.<p>

"Hiori, if you need to rest-" Yoruichi began, who was now trailing along behind Hiori instead of riding on her shoulders. Hiori had nearly lost all of her patience about an hour and a half after her run in with the man who called himself Aizen Sousuke, which had ended with her and Yoruichi getting in a rather loud argument in the middle of being chased by several unseated Shinigami. The two had been walking in an awkward silence for nearly two and a half hours.

"I need to find Ichigo..." she muttered in reply before ripping a strip of her sash on her hips and using it to tie up her long burgundy hair. The powerful feeling she had felt only hours before had been slowly ebbing away, and Hiori quickly found herself missing it. She had felt calm, powerful, in control... God like, as conceited as saying so made her seem. Now, she was beginning to feel like a glass without water; Just as Other Hiori had described her during their short conversation within the Maze.

"Ichigo can wait," Yoruichi grumbled as they slowly rounded the corner. "You won't do him any good if you're worn out and useless..." Hiori rolled her eyes. She knew that Yoruichi meant well, but in all honesty she didn't give a damn what she was saying. She was lost, in the middle of an unknown place, the inhabitants of which mostly wanted to killed her. She had lost track of all of her allies, and that immense power that she had felt earlier was now lost to her.

Hiori cast a sad look in the direction that she had first felt Ichigo's Reiatsu coming from only hours before. She wanted to go home... Home to Tatsuki, and everything that she knew. She didn't want to be here, where everyone was attacking her, and where everything was frightening and foreign. Where monsters took control of her body, and where people were set on seeing her dead. Although that she would never admit it, especially not to Yoruichi... She missed Ichigo.

The carmine haired girl paused. Any peacefulness that she had been feeling before had vanished; In its place was nervousness, fear and panic. A stunning Reiatsu suddenly overwhelmed her, pressing in from all sides. It wasn't this that made Hiori feel uneasy, however. It was the fact that this Reiatsu... She _recognized _it.

"... Kuchiki... Byakuya..." she whispered. Yoruichi's eyes widened, stopping instantly in her tracks. Hiori flattened herself against the side of the building, not even daring to breathe, as she felt the bewhildering pressure close in on her more and more. She could now hear his footsteps, the soft scuffing of sandals on hardwood walkways meeting her ears as they passed. She shifted slightly, peering around the corner, her gray eyes widening as they fell on the familiar face.

He looked angry and dejected, much like the first time that she had met him. Dark raven hair dropped gracefully over his shoulders, the rest of it done up in the white clay kenseikan. His calculating eyes stared stonily at the ground, and Hiori couldn't help but wonder what he was so upset about. Hiori's breath hitched in her throat- He was staring straight at her. Gray met gray, both pairs of cloudy eyes resting on the other's apprehensively. In Byakuya's eyes, Hiori could still see that lingering promise of her death.

The moment was over as quickly as it had come, and Hiori suddenly questioned whether or not the stoic man had even actually seen her. He continued walking, his scarf fluttering behind him, and his footsteps slowly faded as he continued on down the walkway. Hiori finally exhaled, a slight tingling feeling forming in her chest after having held her breath for so long. Yoruichi glanced up at her, scrutinizing her facial expressions carefully before speaking.

"Hiori... How did we end up in this place?" she asked, glancing around cautiously. "It's literally crawling with Captains." Hiori bit her lip guiltily, but she continued to slink forward towards the nearest door nonetheless. The feline scowled, padding along behind her, but never catching up enough to give her a proper scolding. "Hiori!" she hissed. The red head paused, moving her fingers slowly towards the door, but she drew back as soon as she heard voices.

"S-so sorry to trouble you!" a femal voice stuttered, and Hiori strained her ears as she felt two or more people exit the room from the other door. For a moment all was quiet, and Hiori soon found her hand inching towards the door again.

"Owah!" The sudden exclaimation caused Hiori to recoil, her hand's movements almost snakelike as she darted away from the door once again. It seemed that the outburst had also startled the woman who had been in the room previously, as she let out a startled wail. "How did Abarai get beaten so badly?" The new voice sounded surprisingly like her own, though without the obvious hint of feministic tone.

"H-Hitsugaya-kun!" the girl yelled angrily, and Hiori's cloudy eyes widened. This person speaking... This person was her brother.

"Oi, oi." her brother sighed angrily. "I'm already a Captain! You shouldn't address me like that." Hiori lowered her eyes sadly as she listened, and she slowly traced her fingertips along the outside of the sliding door. Her brother was on the other side of that door... Only feet from her.

"Be quiet! That's enough! How come all the Captains don't make any sounds when they walk?" the girl cried, and Hiori couldn't help but scowl in disapproval. This girl was unbelievably loud, not to mention very obnoxious, and she hadn't even met her yet. Somehow, she reminded her of Orihime a little. "By the way, Hitsugaya-kun, why are you... Why are you here? You didn't even bring your Vice Captain..."

A pause ensued for several seconds, and Hiori nearly panicked, thinking that they must have discovered her. "I came to give you some advice." he said, and Hiori calmed down once again. "You have to watch out for the Third Division." he said ominously. Hiori cast a glance down at Yoruichi, who was now frowning thoughtfully at the conversation on which they were evesdropping.

"Huh? The Third Division?" the girl asked, apparently clueless. "You mean Kira-kun? Why?"

"I'm talking about Ichimaru, but beware Kira as well. Anyway, it's not going to hurt you to keep an eye on them... Especially..." The very last word Hiori could not catch, as her brother's voice had now gotten surprisingly low. The girl made several stuttering, flustered noises, but her brother quelled them rather quickly. "I just came to warn you. That's all..." He trailed off, and Hiori heard several shuffling sounds from inside. "Hinamori... Is someone waiting for you outside?"

Hiori's eyes widened, and Yoruichi's fur was suddenly standing on end. She could already hear footsteps rapidly approaching the door- There wasn't any time for them to escape. The door slid open, and the next second an unfamiliar face, one that _should_ have been familiar, filled the doorway. Her brother had white spiky hair, accompanied by a tan complexion resembling her own and a stunning pair of dazzling aqua eyes. Beside him stood an innocent-looking girl, who's dark hair was done up in a tight bun on the back of her head. After looking both ways he glanced down, gray meeting aqua for the first time in one hundred and ten years.

"... Nee... Sama...?" His voice was guarded, careful, and the girl beside of him looked frantically between the two Hitsugayas.

"Hitsu... Hitsugaya-kun, this... Your..." she stammered, her eyes wide as she looked back and forth between the two of them. The boy with white hair looked positively dumbfounded, his blue eyes still wide as he stared down at Hiori and her feline companion. Shakily, Hiori stood up, eyeing her brother and his friend cautiously. Even if they were blood related, she didn't know whether or not he would hesitate to attack her.

"So you're... You're my brother...?" she murmured, which seemed to snap the younger Hitsugaya out of his trance. At least, Hiori assumed that he was younger. His height certainly suggested it, although she had no memories to prove otherwise. He arched an eyebrow, swiftly rearranging his face into a calm, collected mask.

"Nee-sama... What are you doing here?" he asked sternly, reaching behind him and gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto. Yoruichi hissed loudly from behind Hiori, but Hiori couldn't help but feel that the idea of fighting him was somewhat ridiculous. Ignoring the fact that they were brother and sister, she towered over the tiny Captain by a good fifteen inches, not to mention whatever age difference the two of them may have. Hiori wasn't usually one to judge a book by its cover, but no matter how she looked at it, she had a clear physical advantage. "Answer me, Nee-sama."

Hiori didn't answer. She couldn't answer. She had a lump in her throat as if she were about to cry, and her heart was beating wildly. It was a mixture of pain and happiness, a feeling that she both wanted to hold on to and run away from all at once. The next second she was on her knees, her long thin arms wrapping around her brother and crushing him against her chest. He grunted, and his friend jumped away as if Hiori had just tried to attack her. Hiori shut her eyes, her chin resting on top of her brother's shoulder.

_"Nee-sama, where are you going?" he asked darkly, eyeing Hiori carefully as she slipped on her shoes. Hiori jumped, whipping her head around to face her younger brother, who had been hiding in the shadows as she prepared to leave._

_"What are you doing up?" she asked waspishly, standing up and walking over to him. He shrugged, pushing himself off of the floor and walking over to meet her halfway._

_"You woke me up leaving that dumb note of yours on my pillow." he replied sourly, frowning up at his older sibling. "You've never been good at goodbyes... Or anything with other people, actually." Hiori rolled her eyes, crouching down to be on eye level with him. "How're you going to manage being in an academy with so many other people? You hate people."_

_"I'll manage just fine, don't be stupid." Hiori replied as she frowned at him. _

_"What about me?" he muttered. "Just leave me here, with that dumb note and all you're money? That's nice,"_

_"You've got grandma, and you've got Momo."_

_"That bed-wetter can't take care of me." he replied swiftly as Hiori straightened up. "I'm always having to get her out of trouble... I look after her..." Hiori chuckled under her breath, closing the bag she had with her after stuffing in a change of clothes. She turned back towards him, meeting his eyes._

_"Look, you." she said stiffly, commanding his attention. "You're gonna stay here, and you're gonna like it. That's that." Her brother scowled angrilly, folding his arms across his chest, turning around and glaring at the ground. After a long pause Hiori sighed, touching the palm of her hand to the top of his head. "I'll come back, you know." she said softly. She leaned her forehead against the back of his head as he continued to glare in the opposite direction. "I'll become a Shinigami... Then I'll come and get you..."_

_"Promise?" he muttered, still not looking in her direction. Things were always liked this. As long as others looked at her, nothing changed. She was still icy, cold and dejected. It was only ever when they looked away that she changed... And he was the only one who she ever allowed to look away._

_"Promise."_

Hiori was suddenly drawn out of her memory as her brother pushed her away. Not roughly, but hard enough to get the point across. His bright blue eyes, which much resembled those of Amaterasu, gave her a calculating look. He seemed to be put off by her actions, as if the act of hugging your own brother was something unnatural, some sort of tabboo. The girl beside of him, who he had referred to as Hinamori, was still staring at her in a startled manner.

"I asked you a question," he said finally. He seemed to be doing all that he could to keep his emotions reined in, and despite how hard he was trying, it showed. "Why are you here, Nee-sama? This is not allowed,"

"I... I came to save someone," she whispered as she stood. Her brother let out a small snort, and Hinamori gave him a look; Apparently, such things were slightly out of character for him.

"That's unlike you, Nee-sama." he muttered, casting her a look of suspicion. "Sticking your neck out for others... Why are you acting like this?" He didn't sound upset, or angry, or annoyed. His carefully guarded tone was subtly laced with curiosity, and Hiori inwardly cursed her past self to the fiery pits of hell. Her own brother, her flesh and blood brother, wasn't even used to her acting kind.

"I've forgotten bits of me..." she said softly while brushing a piece of deep carmine hair out of her eyes. "All sorts of bits... Pretty much everything," Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and she suddenly felt cool metal pressing against the smooth flesh of her throat.

"Then, it seems, you have also forgotten that it is a Captain's duty to reprimand criminals." he murmured darkly, and Hiori felt the tickle of liquid as a thin stream of blood trickled down her neck and over her collar bone. "It's my duty..." He repeated this as if reassuring himself that what he was doing was right. She suddenly felt herself go rigid as the sound of approaching voices and footsteps made their way to her ears; The overwhelming Reiatsu that she had felt mere minutes ago had reappeared, alerting her to the impending presence of none other than Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Hinamori, I think you should go," her brother said softly.

"Ah, but, Hitsugaya-ku-"

"_Go_, please, Hinamori." The girl paused, listening as the voices approached, before turning on her heel and exiting out of the opposite door. Gray and aqua eyes locked on each other, and for what seemed like an eternity, the two stared at each other. It was peaceful, serene, as if nothing could hurt them; As if time could never move forward. The moment was soon broken, however, by the frantic hissing of none other than Yoruichi.

"Hiori!" she snapped. The red head could now make out the word 'Ryoka' in what the approaching Shinigami were saying. She ignored this, however, and continued to stare at her brother. She flinched slightly, watching as her brother's hand moved towards her... Towards her Zanpakuto. She hadn't even remembered drawing it, the weight of it blending in nicely with the rest of her body, and the sad, echoing melody soothing her nerves to the point where she no longer felt like moving. His hand stopped directly in front of the blunt cut tip, which was leaning up against the sleek metal of his katana in a defensive position.

"Hey... What're you-" Her brother silenced her with a single look, and now Hiori could literally feel the footsteps shake the wooden walkway.

"I can't let them see me just letting you get away," he murmured, all the while his fingertips closing in on the blunt tip of her sword. Hiori's eyes widened, suddenly realized what it was that her brother intended on doing. In one, seemingly fluid motion, Hiori swooped down. She sheathed her sword, not caring about the sting in her neck from where her brother's Zanpakuto had sliced the skin, and instead focussed on pulling him closer to her. To her left, she saw Kuchiki Byakuya appear several doors down; Cold gray eyes narrowed when he saw her, and she saw his lips give the orders that his subordinates then obeyed.

Division Six closed in on her, and Hiori felt as Yoruichi clawed her way up her back. Energy collected around her feet, and she could no longer hear or see Byakuya or his underlings, leaving behind the wooden walkway and the red haired man who lay on the floor within the room; He seemed oddly familiar.

Hiori had always viewd Shunpo as an oddly disarming technique, as it always left her feeling both woozy and disoriented, her condition worsening the farther she used it to run with. But when she stopped on the top of a faraway rooftop, she felt strangely full of energy. The sun forced her to squint her eyes, and she set down her brother carefully, though he didn't look at all appreciative to what she had just done.

"Nee-sama," he said darkly, glaring up at her purposefully.

"What?" Hiori asked innocently, gray eyes widening at her brother's sudden mood change. He closed his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm a Captain, Nee-sama, I don't need _you_ to get me out of sticky situations." he explained. Hiori frowned, to the point where it was nearly a pout. "Besides, I had it under control." At this, Hiori rolled her eyes.

"You were about to grab Amaterasu and use that weird ice-inside-the-body technique," she said, feeling pretty stupid for not even knowing the proper name for the technique. Her brother seemed to think so, as well, as he arched a pure white eyebrow carefully after her comment.

"... You mean **_Koori Choushi_**?" he asked skeptically, and Hiori flushed with embarrassment. Inside her head she heard a low chuckle, which was clearly Amaterasu's way of making fun of her. She folded her arms across her chest angrilly, not particularly caring for the way both her brother and her Zanpakuto were ganging up on her.

"Yeah, that. Whatever," she snapped as a taunting smirk slowly began to spread over her brother's face. "What's your name, anyways?" she asked, jabbing her pointer finger in his direction rudely. She had meant to use her not knowing her own brother's name as a retaliation to his slight taunting, but no sooner were the words out of her mouth, she regretted it. Shock, hurt and confusion passed over his face all at once, it was almost too quick to pick up on.

"You don't know my name?" he breathed, his aqua eyes widening by a minescule amount. From her shoulders, Hiori could hear Yoruichi muttering something that sounded like 'tactless' under her breath, but she paid it no mind.

"I-I'm sorry... Like I said, I've forgotten... A lot. I've forgotten a lot." Her brother nodded slowly, not really knowing what to say. Hiori was just thankful that he hadn't turned on his heel and walked away as soon as she'd asked for his name. "Well... Um, I guess I should go..." she said awkwardly, and her brother nodded again. She began to turn away, lifting her foot to jump off of the roof- But her brother grabbed on to the pantleg of her tattered hakama.

"Tōshirō..." His voice was a hoarse whisper, and yet again she felt that it was oddly similar to her own. Hiori peered over her shoulder, but her brother refused to look her in the eyes. "My name... It's Tōshirō..." A small smile broke over Hiori's features as she began preparing for Shunpo yet again, and with one small step she was gone, and the only proof of her ever being there was her lingering sent. Tōshirō pressed his lips into a firm line, glancing down at his hand, which had previously been holding on to his older sister's hakama.

She was an entirely different person; He had trouble believing that it really was, in fact, his sister. He felt like a child again, though the apprehensiveness that he had always felt around his older sibling had vanished, and he somehow felt completely at ease around her. The Hiori now was more like the 'Hiori' that only he had ever gotten to see. The one you only got to see if the reclusive girl ever truly allowed for you to _look away._

"I'm still looking, Nee-sama..." he murmured, his eyes scanning the horizonline of Soul Society, searching for any signs of his sister. All he got were rustles of the wind, and the scuffing of sandals on rock. "I'm still looking. So why are you smiling...?"

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><p><strong>Not much action in this chapter, but she finally meets her brother! Yet another memory is shown, this time with Hiori and Tōshirō, though it's considerably shorter than the one between Kensei and Hiori. Tōshirō is taken by surprise by Hiori's unexpected change in character, and in the memory it explains how when nobody was watching, namely her brother, Hiori was known to act kindly. This hints at a dual personality, and Tōshirō can't understand what caused the one that only he "knew" to come out like this.<strong>

**I'm already working on the next chapter, and it may even end up being posted tonight as well, if all goes according to plan. I haven't been getting as many reviews lately, so I figure I need to step up my game. I'd also like to know if there's anything in particular my reviewers would be interested in seeing happen in this story- It may prove helpful to know!**

**Again, I got a tumblr account, which is posted on my profile. I have two pictures up of Hiori, and I will post previews for upcoming chapters regularly there. I'm also working on a detailed drawing of her tattoo, since I was told that it was difficult to visualize, and that should be up shortly. There is, however, already a picture there of her where you can see the tattoo.**

**Read and review, please!**


	23. Part 2: Spring, Spring, Meet Lion

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><p>"The reason we think the flowers of the precipice are beautiful is because we are standing on the precipice as well. Do not fear, because we are like the flowers. We did not step off."<p>

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><p><em>Darkness pressed in around her from all sides. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear, she couldn't even breathe. She called out, desperate; No one was looking. No one could see. There was no light, and with no light, there was no hope. Inky black clouded her eyes, around her or within her, she could not tell. No one heard her, and no one replied to her cries of desperation. Or perhaps they had heard her, and were all simply laughing together outside of the darkness. Laughing at her.<em>

_'I'll kill them...' she thought to herself. _

_Then pain. Immense pain. It rippled through all of her five senses, stinging her eyes and nose like salt water and electrifying her nerves as if she had been stung. She heard a crack, and then another, and the next thing she knew she was laying on her side in the grass. It was still damp from the light sun shower that afternoon. _

_Her eyes met with Aikawa Love's, who was laying directly opposite of her. She scrutinized his pained expression, though the look of betrayal and horror was not lost on her. What was he seeing? She glanced around as someone else shouted Tousen's name... It sounded like Shinji, she thought, though her ears were still warping every word that was spoken._

_In the distance, two familiar figures were approaching. One had brown hair, the other was as strikingly silver as the moonlight. He would have looked like nothing more than an innocent child, had it not been for that sinister sneer painting his face with an eerie sort of glow that Hiori had normally only ever associated with herself. It was the face she wore when all eyes were on her. The mask she wore when everyone else was watching her._

_"So, it was you, after all..." The voice which Hiori now knew to be Shinji said. He spoke with a sting on the tip of his tongue, his waspish tone alerting her to the fact that they had, indeed, been betrayed. Was this what it felt like, to be murdered by your own allies? She had done the same to others many times. _

_"You suspected?" The brown haired man who had been in the distance only seconds ago was now only feet from her. Was time passing quicker than she percieved? Perhaps. She couldn't quite tell. She was dying; She had to be dying. This had to be what 'death' felt like._

_'... mine...'_

_What? she thought, straining her ears over the voice within her head to hear the conversation going on near her._

_"I should have expected as much," Aizen continued. Hiori had never liked Aizen. Perhaps it was because she had always seen herself in him; She realized this only now. A two faced person who wore a multitude of masks. So many that one even lost count of who they truly were. Masks intended to fool others, but only ended up turning around and fooling you, instead. Masks like the one she wore._

_"Of course I did." Shinji muttered. It was strained, and Hiori got the impression that he was speaking into a glass jar. Was this simply because she was dying? Dying did funny things to the senses, it seemed._

_'All... Mine...'_

_"Since when?" Aizen inquired. He was curious. Aizen was always curious, Hiori knew. Hiori was never curious. The one difference between herself and Aizen. Hiori knew what people thought of her; There was no need for her to question or inquire. No need for curiosity... That was why she had loathed Kensei's attitude. Even now that she saw him, 'Hollowfied' and broken, he still lorded something over her that, before now, she had only ever entrusted to her brother. The knowledge that, within her, resided something that she hated._

_No. Someone she hated._

_"Since you were in your mother's womb!" Shinji retorted. He was spitting, now, and Hiori could visualize the blood he was coughing up even if she did not see it._

_"I see..." Aizen murmured softly. Softly... Was he getting quieter?_

_"I always thought... That you were dangerous." Shinji had launched into his explanation. Hiori wanted to hear it. She wanted to know why she was dying. For what was she dying? Why was she being taken away from her brother? "That you couldn't be trusted. That's why I chose you as my Lieutenant... To keep an eye on you, Aizen!"_

_"Yes... I'm grateful, Captain Hirako." Aizen whispered. Of course he should be grateful, Hiori thought. He sounded confidant... Had this been a part of his plan all along? "Thanks to your deep-seated doubts, you didn't suspect a thing."_

_"I just told you... I suspected you..." How could you know for sure, Hiori thought. How could you know for sure of his intentions, if all you did was keep him at arm's length? One who distrusts another does not let them near. So how could Shinji ever hope to truly understand Aizen? The same could be said for her. _

_"No." Aizen said resolutely. "You didn't realize, did you? This entire month, I wasn't the one walking behind you." A mask? No... 'Aizen' had been the mask all along._

_'You're all mine...'_

_"The ability to make my enemy see whatever it is I want him to. That's the true power of my Zanpakuto 'Kyoka Suigetsu'." Had she been able to, Hiori would have cackled. How sneaky. A mask, a trick, a mask, a trick... "I call it 'Perfect Hypnosis'. You're a smart man, Captain Hirako. Perhaps if you had interacted with me as other Captains do with their Lieutenants, you may have been able to see through it. But you didn't do that."_

_"Because you didn't trust me, you always kept me at a distance. Never opening your heart to me, never sharing information." Opening one's heart is dangerous, Hiori thought to herself. Her vision was completely gone now. She was back in the darkness, but the voices remained. The voices, the voices... What were they saying? Oh, yes, opening one's heart, she thought. That was a dangerous thing to do. "You never tried to get close to me. That's why you didn't notice that I had been replaced. I had the man who replaced me memorize my usual movements. My response patterns towards Captains and the other guards."_

_"If you had a thorough understanding of me, you may have noticed a slight change in my movements or habbits." Shinji? So it was Shinji's fault. Careless, careless... Guarded, guarded. "The reason you are lying here now is all thanks to the fact that you knew nothing about me, Captain Hirako." Their words were now gone, too, and now Hiori was completely surrounded by darkness. It was cold... Where was her inner world?_

_A roar behind her. It was ear splitting, throat ripping, fear inducing and chilled her to the bone. She glanced around, watching as the wheat field that filled her inner world slowly filled her eyes. In the middle of it stood an unfamiliar creature. Amaterasu was not there. Amaterasu...? She tried to call out, but the scream from the monster seemed to have taken her voice. It was a lion. Though lions were not a common find within the confines of her subconscious. It was red, and it was white, and it was gray. The bone like skin that covered it clicked as it moved, the joints popping into place as it lifted its enormous paw._

_Spines stood on end, and Hiori saw that where a fluffy mane on an actual lion should be there were bone-like spines. A mixture of red, white and gray. Its mouth did not open or close. It merely continued to stare at her with that sinister leer on its face, its sharp teeth visible, as it had no lips. Large black eyes seemed to draw her in, and push her away all at once. It lifted its tail, the end also covered in spines, swishing it through the air with an air of intimidation._

_Before Hiori could blink it was on top of her. Its teeth sank into her skin, drawing blood or spirit, she could not tell. She tried to scream, but nothing reached her ears. No sound, no nothing, just emptiness. The wheat whipped around in the breeze, the dark sky getting darker by the second. Then the lion was gone, and when she looked down at her arm, she saw that her hand was a boney paw instead of her own fingers. _

_It continued to warp, mixing with her skin until she was unable to tell where she began or ended. The color was gone from her skin, replaced by a brilliant boney white. A mind-numbing pain went through her system next, and she felt as if she was being ripped apart. She shifted her eyes, unable to move the rest of her body, and from her other side she saw a second self form. She looked like she did, spoke like she did, walked like she did. But she was completely unharmed._

_Help me! she wanted to say. Her inner world was disappearing out from underneath her feet, and her eyes widened in surprise. Was this girl doing this? Why was she doing this? Who was she?_

_"You're being eaten, Hiori-chan," she murmured. Hiori's eyes widened, and she watched as the wheat withered and died, to be replaced by barren, rocky land. "This is a Hollowfication. And you are being eaten."_

_"Let me back in!" she screached, finally managing to speak. "Get out of here! Let me back in!" her voice no longer sounded as her voice should have. It was warped, twisted, piercing and echoing all at once. _

_"No." the girl answered. "You poison everything you touch, now. You're dead now. You can't come back in."_

_"GET OUT!"_

_"So much hate... That's why you're being eaten." the girl continued. "That's why, Hiori-chan, I bar you from this place." Hiori looked around. She was floating in blackness once again. Her inner world was slowly condensing, rocky walls bursting up to keep her out._

_"Shut up!" she cried loudly, stretching out her clawed fingers to swipe at the girl. She was too far away, though, and the rocky walls of what looked like a maze were slowly closing her out of her world. "If I sleep, you sleep, too!" The girl smiled sadly, and her face began to be obscured from Hiori's eyes by rock._

_"I know... That's why, until I can buy this body enough time to control you... We will both sleep." she murmured. "Neither of us will be waking up for a very long time." Hiori's face contorted with rage, and she suddenly noticed that her hair was now the same inky black as the rest of whatever it was that surrounded her._

_"Fuck you!" she screamed. She screamed so hard it felt as if her throat must bleed. Only the girl's eyes were visible now. "Fuck you! Fuck you, fuck you, FUCK YOU!"_

_And then all was back to black._

_-:-_

Cold sweat ran down Hiori's skin. She shivered, letting her shaking over take her whole body as she continued to sit on the ground. A nightmare... That's what that had been. That was all. There had been something about Kensei... A man called Shinji... Aizen had betrayed them. She couldn't remember, yet it was as if she had never forgotten. She moaned softly, pressing her palms to her face forcefully.

"Get out... Get out of my head..." she groaned. Small splashes of color dotted her vision the harder she pressed on her eyelids. "I'm not you... I'm not you..."

"It's too early to be talking to yourself, Hiori," Hiori jumped, her eyes meeting the startlingly yellow ones of Yoruichi, who was watching her carefully from the top of a stack of crates. Glancing around, Hiori realized that they had taken refuge in yet another shack.

"Where do you keep finding these places?" she asked, glancing around. "I feel like hiding shouldn't be this easy..." Yoruichi chuckled softly, her large paws padding the ground as she leapt from her perch.

"I used to live here, remember?" she said. "I know places. And frankly, these people are careless," Hiori rolled her eyes and pushed herself up off of the ground. Her legs felt weak at the knees, and it was all she could do to keep herself from shaking. What she had seen, felt and heard within that dream... Within that memory... She couldn't get it out of her head. The pure rage and pain that she had felt flowing through her... All of those feelings had been felt just before her 'death'.

"Question." Hiori blurted suddenly, just as Yoruichi had pushed the door to the shack open. She glowered, trying to remind her with her eyes that she was meant to be keeping quiet. Hiori complied, waiting until they were sure the coast was clear before continuing. "Why does that Byakuya guy hate me so much?" she asked, and the large black cat slowly peered up at her while they walked. "I mean, I feel like if it was something that was a really big deal, I would've remembered it by now..."

"It doesn't seem like there's really a pattern to how you remember, though," Yoruichi pointed out. "You didn't remember your brother. I'd say he's pretty important." Hiori bit her lip thoughtfully- Yoruichi made an excellent point. The order she was remembering things in did not seem to correspond with much of anything. There was no way to tell which memory would come next. "To answer your question, though... I suppose he probably disliked you because you stole away his father's position in Gotei Thirteen."

"Gotei what now?" Hiori repeated, raising her eyebrows in an act of obvious confusion. Yoruichi rolled her eyes.

"It's troublesome that you've forgotten everything." Hiori grumbled something under her breath, but Yoruichi decided to continue, anyways. "Don't get me wrong; Byakuya isn't one to hold grudges because someone is more talented."

"... I don't get it..." Hiori muttered as they crouched low behind a building. A hoard of unseated Shinigami went sprinting past them, yelling something to one another about Ryoka. "If that's not it, then what is it?" Yoruichi's bright eyes darkened somewhat.

"It was that attitude of yours." she said finally. "You were arrogant, self-absorbed, careless and lazy. A slacker." Hiori's eyes widened slightly at the harsh words Yoruichi was speaking. She had known others disliked her... She had known that others' dislike for her had, in the past, been severe. But the way Yoruichi spoke, it was as if she still hated her, even now. "One can get a good position on sheer talent... But one cannot be _respected_ without hard work. You were talented, yes, but you were not respected. Especially not by Byakuya."

"... Did you hate me, too, Yoruichi?" she whispered. The cat's eyes closed, and Hiori felt an awful, clenching feeling within her chest. Why was she the one paying for all of Past Hiori's mistakes? Why was she stuck in this hated body? "Answer me, please..."

"Yes."

Her voice was dark and guarded, though her eyes were still closed. Hiori's teeth sank into her tongue, and she could taste the rusty tang of blood deep in her mouth; But she didn't care. All of the memories she had made with Yoruichi in the human world... Had those all been a lie? Fake? An act? She felt betrayed, hurt, and alone. The cat that had been with her for two years, the woman who had been with her for so long, hated her.

The awkward pause was broken by a loud rumbling. Hiori's first instinct told her that it must be an earthquake, but a moment later her instincts were, for once, proved wrong. It wasn't the ground that was shaking. It was the wall. In one swift movement Hiori grabbed the large black cat by her ankles, sweeping her up in her arms and away from the wall just in time to shield themselves from the blast.

Rock and rubble fell through the sky. It smelled as if something was burning, but Hiori saw now flame or fire. A young woman stood on an unharmed portion of the wall, a serious expression on her face. She was stern-looking, which matched nicely with the angular glasses she wore on her thin face. Her hair was done up in a bun, and she held several books under one arm.

Smoke began to rise from the rubble. Carefully, slowly, Hiori set Yoruichi down, careful not to attract the attention of the stern woman as she peered around the ruined rock wall. On the other side, piles of rock dotted the landscape, which were also smoking. A tall man, taller than herself, stood in the middle of the area. He wore a wide-brimmed sakkat*****, and his wavy brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. Hiori's own hair, which had by now come loose from its own ponytail, fluttered in the breeze; She watched as the pink kimono draped around the man's shoulders shifted, exposing the white cloth that signified him as a Captain.

Beside him lay Chad. Blood sprayed the ground around him, where he lay splayed on his stomach. His arm was red and black, and smoke was rising from his body. The man sighed, and Hiori watched his lips move as he said something to himself.

"Chad!" He looked dead. He wasn't moving, and Hiori couldn't even tell if he was breathing. The man glanced up, watching Hiori with interest as she sprinted towards the injured latino. Yoruichi had trailed behind her, and angry expression marring her cat like features. The man gave the cat a strange look, apparently not really knowing why it was there at all. The red haired girl crouched over Chad, not at all caring that a very powerful Captain stood just inches from her.

"Well..." Hiori's eyes snapped up to the man as she felt for Chad's pulse; It was there. Barely there, but he was alive. The man's gray eyes were similar to hers in color, much like Kuchiki Byakuya's. In his hair he wore a pair of pink pinwheel hairpins, which matched the pink of the kimono that he wore. "It's been a while since I've seen that face." Hiori frowned up at him with distaste, not really understanding why a man who had just seriously injured her comrade was being so nonchalant with her. "How have you been, Hitsu-chan?"

With a great amount of effort Hiori rolled Chad onto his back. A deep gash cut through the front of his shirt, and it was still gushing a fair amount of blood. Yoruichi caught Hiori's eye quickly, nodding, as if to tell her that she would take care of it. Not bothering to wipe Chad's blood off of her fingers, Hiori reached behind her, drawing Amaterasu from his sheath. An agry wail immediately met her ears, and she straightened her back to look at her new opponent seriously.

"You." she said darkly, narrowing her stormy eyes at the brown haired man before her. Amaterasu's blunt end was pointed straight towards the Captain, who was looking at her with fond eyes. "What the hell did you do to Chad?" The man sighed tiredly, adjusting the hat on his head before speaking.

"Oh boy, oh boy... You Ryoka are all so serious..." he muttered. He sounded bored, or possibly lazy, Hiori couldn't quite tell which. His tone, however, was seriously pissing her off. "Even you, Hitsu-chan. I'd never pegged you as the protective type... Is this human your lover?" Hiori's cheeks reddened instantly, and her embarrassment showed in the tune of her Zanpaktuo.

"I- What? NO!" she yelled defensively, waving her sword around. "I just... We... Hey! I'm asking the questions, you crazy perverted Captain!" The man chuckled, which only served to embarrass Hiori further, and she could now feel her whole face heating up.

"Well, this is a rare occurance indeed." the man drawled, leaning back into a pile of rubble and withdrawing Sake from God-knows-where. "Hitsu-chan, embarrassed. Now I've seen everything."

"Don't just lean back so casually, you cross-dressing weirdo!" Hiori barked, waving her Zanpakuto around frivolously. The man raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of his drink.

"Ah, sorry... Would you like a drink as well?" he asked innocently, offering her an ochoko*****. It was as if he thought the act of drinking was some sort of peace treaty. Hiori flared up instantly, stomping her foot in a rather childish manner.

"As if, you kimono wearing freak!" The man looked rather disheartened, lowering his hand and placing the empty ochoko on the ground.

"Why the name-calling, Hitsu-chan?" he asked, and Hiori was sure that by now even her ears were beet red. "That's not very lady like, you know."

"Fuck lady-like, get up and fight me like a man!" she retorted, jabbing her Zanpakuto in his direction threateningly. "What's with this? You're a Captain, right? Aren't you supposed to be scary-powerful and serious and walk without making any noise?" she asked, remembering what the girl called Hinamori had said to her brother the other day.

"Perhaps," he replied jovially, grunting slightly as he pushed himself upwards. "But really, it would suit me much better to drink than to fight with you."

"Huh...?" Hiori donned a puzzled expression, lowering her sword a fraction of an inch. She was briefly taken off guard; She hadn't expected to meet a Captain here with no intentions of fighting her. After all, none of them had liked her. Perhaps this man had been after her time? "Not that I plan on taking you up on that offer, but why don't you want to fight me?"

"It's troublesome..." he muttered. Hiori gave him an unamused look. She had been hoping for a different sort of answer. "This is certainly surprising, though. How on earth did you end up coming back with the Ryoka, of all people?"

"I... You answer my questions first!" she retorted, rather more loudly than necessary. "Who are you, and what did you do to Chad?"

"Perhaps you should answer my question. Then maybe I'll tell you."

"Actually, _I_ asked first, and secondly-"

"On the contrary, I think you'll find that I asked first." the man said, wagging his finger tauntingly in the air. "Let's not get so worked up over this, Hitsu-chan, I am merely asking a question."

"Don't wag your finger at me, you creep." she muttered darkly, following his waving finger with her eyes all the while. "Who are you, what did you do to Chad, and why are you calling me Hitsu-chan?"

"I may be imagining things, but I think you keep adding more questions each time." the man observed, his gray eyes twinkling slightly as he looked at her. "If it will calm you down, I'll tell you." Hiori grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms and tapping her foot loudly on the rock with impatience. "I simply stopped this young man... Chad, as you call him, from passing through. I tried to avoid it, but he refused my offer to drink instead." Hiori rolled her eyes.

"Who would accept that dumb alternative?" The man ignored her, and instead continued on with answering her questions.

"I call you Hitsu-chan because I find it much more tasteful than 'Hitsugaya-Hentai'." Hiori bristled instantly, biting her lip angrilly at the mention of her past nickname. "Judging by your actions, I'm sure you agree... And, lastly, I am Kyouraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eight Division." Hiori made a face, looking the man up and down once again before speaking.

"That's quite an eccentric name you have there... It suits you.*****" The man smiled kindly, nodding in appreciation at the comment that Hiori had meant to be taken offensively.

"So, what Hisagi-san said was true... You really don't remember a thing." Hiori shrugged nonchalantly, raising her sword once again.

"Some things are coming back." she replied, watching the man called Shunsui carefully. Why did that name sound so familiar...? Hiori's eyes widened, remembering how Urahara had mentioned Shunsui in one of their previous conversations. "Oh!" she snapped her fingers. "Urahara mentioned you... You've got a female Zanpakuto, right?"

"Indeed I do," the man said, drawing two swords from the sheaths on his side. "This is Katen Kyoukotsu." Hiori eyed his dual Zanpakuto carefully, taking in their appearance. It was strange; She had never before seen a Shinigami who had two Zanpakuto even in their sealed stage.

"She's... Uh... She's very nice." Hiori muttered, unsure of what it was she was supposed to be saying. Shunsui seemed satisfied, however, and once again placed his two Zanpakuto back into their respective sheaths. "H-hey! Don't just put your swords away, idiot."

"You really won't just let this go?" Shunsui sighed, and Hiori's face was once again red with anger.

"Um, no," Hiori said, drawing out her words as if this would make him take her more seriously. "And it's not as if you'd just let me walk away, is it? So we have to fight,"

"Or we could just talk." Hiori arched a skeptical eyebrow.

"Talk?" she repeated suspiciously. She didn't understand it; Urahara had mentioned that this man didn't like her very much. But, then again, nobody here had liked her very much. "What about?"

"First off, I think you owe me an apology, Hitsu-chan."

"Excuse me?" Hiori deadpanned, feeling completely lost. Was he seriously expecting an apology from her for challenging him to a fight.

"For making fun of my novel." he answered seriously. Hiori made a face.

"What novel...?" she asked. If he knew she didn't remember anything, why was he even bothering to ask? Part of her told her that he was doing it simply to keep her talking.

"_Rose Colored Path_*****."

"Sorry, but that sounds... Unbelievably gay." The man hung his head, muttering something that sounded like 'She said it again' under his breath. After several minutes of awkward silence, Hiori had finally had enough. "Look... Sorry I called your novel gay, and stuff, but I really need to find my friends."

"So you won't stay and chat, either, then?" Shunsui asked, sighing heavily as he did so. Hiori shook her head slowly, raising Amaterasu once more. "I guess there's no avoiding it, then."

"Guess not..."

"_**Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer.**_" He spoke softly and slowly, and despite the lengthiness of the release command, Hiori couldn't help but feel awe-struck by the appearance of his Shikai. The dual blades crossed in a defensive position, as he prepared himself for Hiori to release Amaterasu.

'Give 'im hell, Hiori.' said a voice inside her head. She smirked, holding her Zanpakuto with both hands as she spoke two words.

"_**Thaw... Amaterasu!**_"

* * *

><p><strong>*sakkat: A wide brimmed straw hat.<strong>

***Ochoko: Sake cups.**

***Hiori is referring to the fact that Shunsui's name literally translates to 'Spring-water City-fun'.**

***Rose Colored Path: A novel Shunsui published in the Seireitei Communication, which is a magazine that runs in Soul Society. I know it sounds weird but I swear it's real... .com/wiki/Seireitei_Communication**

**Ended this chapter with a cliffhanger because I got tired of writing... But be expecting some Amaterasu appearances next chapter! I know he faded into the background there for a while, and he'll be going in and out all through the Soul Society arc. He gets a bigger role once I get to the Arrancar arc, so don't worry! ****Tried to add in some humor there with the Hiori and Shunsui interaction. Hope I did that okay...**

**Also revealed yet another memory. In this one, we get to see Hiori's last moments, as well as when she is consumed by her Hollow. Her Hollow form resembles a lion in this memory, which will probably be referred to a lot in the Arrancar arc. It also contributed to the title of this chapter, because the manga chapter where Chad meets Shunsui is called 'Spring, Spring, Meets the Tiger' in reference to Chad's last name.**

**Also, thanks to AkkeAndringa for the fanart, which can be found on my tumblr! It was awesome!**

**Thanks for all of the reviews!**


	24. Part 2: Right Arm, Left Arm, Bankai

_... _

* * *

><p>"Waiting and having faith is also a Captain's duty."<p>

* * *

><p>Hiori had never once thought of herself as a fighter, much less a winner. Her short fighter with Shuuhei on her first day in Soul Society had proved to her that, if she chose to be, she actually could be a fighter. However, that fight had been what most would call "unfair", and in this battle, Hiori had absolutely no intentions of allowing her Hollow to seize and take control of her precious body.<p>

Kyouraku Shunsui gazed at her lazily, his face partially obscured behind his twin blades, which he held crossed in front of his face. He pressed his lips together in a stressed sort of smile, further demonstrating his severe reluctance to fight. Chad's blood still stained Hiori's fingertips as she gripped the hilt of Amaterasu; Even if Chad had not been injured, there would have been no backing out of this fight for Hiori. In the distance, she could already feel Ichigo's Reiatsu flaring dangerously.

"I've never had the pleasure of fighting you before, Hitsu-chan," Shunsui sighed, and for some reason, this statement soothed Hiori somewhat. Perhaps it was because, with Shunsui, it seemed that she had a clean slate. Despite Urahara's words, he hardly seemed to be the type of man to hold grudges; Maybe, just maybe, he could see how much she had changed. "There's really no convincing you of a drink, then?"

"Sorry, but no." Hiori muttered, and her grip on her Zanpakuto tightened. "I need to find my friends."

"_Friends_..." Shunsui murmured thoughtfully. After a moment's pause he chuckled, sliding the blades of his dual Zanpakuto together as he brought them to his sides. "You've become quite a different person, Hitsu-chan... It seems that Ukitake was right about you." Hiori's eyes widened slightly, and she cocked her head to the side, clearly displaying her curiosity.

"Who...?"

"I'm sorry, Hitsu-chan, but you've already made it very clear you didn't want to talk." Shunsui said, his tone rather more serious than it had been before. "I'm afraid I really will have to fight you, now."

"No, wait, who is Ukita-" Her words were silenced by a sudden lunged from Shunsui, metal scraping against metal as she blocked his twin blades with her Shikai. The sword itself was nearly as tall as Shunsui himself, and Hiori twisted it slightly so as to cut the side of Shunsui's face with the jagged metal edge in the middle of her Zanpakuto.

Hiori grunted, shoving him away roughly. In reality, she only ended up pushing herself away, as the man was so strong that he ended up not even moving so much as an inch. Hiori bit her lip nervously, observing Shunsui's calm composure as he straightened his back and held his Zanpakuto up on either side of him. His pink kimono shifted in a slight breeze, and Hiori couldn't stop herself from thinking that it would be entirely fitting to have flower petals floating in the background right about then.

She shook herself to remove the pristine image from her mind, forcing herself to take a lunge straight at Shunsui. He blocked her easily, crossing his blades directly in front of his face in order to shield himself from Amaterasu. Her Zanpakuto's melody had ceased with the release of his Shikai, and Hiori quickly found herself beginning to miss it. It was if he was right beside her, reminding her that she wasn't alone.

'Of course you're not alone, stupid.' he muttered within her head, and a smile tugged at the corners of Hiori's lips. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

Hiori pushed herself back again, ignoring the fact that she was the only one really taking the initiative of the fight, and took another running start for Shunsui. He once again lifted his Zanpakuto, guarding his face; But at the last minute, Hiori utilized Senka*****. Her position changed from one in front of her opponent to one behind, and she brought her Zanpakuto around to take a swipe at his back.

The tip of her enormous blade punctured through Shunsui's skin, spewing blood every which way. It dotted the air, the rusty scent filling Hiori's nose to the point where she almost gagged. Withdrawing her Zanpakuto from Shunsui's back, Hiori stared at the ruined body sadly. He was dead, right...? She'd killed him; Of course she had. It was the same attack that Yoruichi said had been used on Ichigo- The one he hadn't been supposed to survive.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, still watching as the body slowly fell towards the ground. Was she imagining things, or was it not really moving all that much? It was as if the body was held in some sort of suspended animation.

"Don't look so sad, Hitsu-chan," said a voice from behind her. The red head jumped, whipping around so fast that she nearly got whiplash. Behind her stood a completely unharmed Shunsui, a serene smile plastered on his face. "Look, see, I'm totally fine. No need to look so upset," Hiori's face reddened instantly, glancing behind her to where Shunsui's body had been... It had vanished.

"What... What the hell?" she choked out, looking back and forth between Shunsui and the empty space behind her. "I... You... You were dead!"

"Ah, and here I thought you'd be happy to see that I was alright..." he said, sighing heavily. "I merely used Utsusemi*****. Sorry to have startled you, Hitsu-chan." Hiori bit her lip, looking embarrassed, although if she was to be entirely truthful, she was thankful that she hadn't ended up killing him. Killing was what Hitsugaya-Hentai did; She didn't want to end up following in her footsteps.

A shooting pain suddenly rippled through her body, causing her to let out a cry of pain that she was sure could have been heard by anyone within a half mile radius. She glanced down, observing the blood which was now pouring out of a disgusting looking gash in her stomach.

'Careless!' Amaterasu said, though he sounded more worried than livid.

Hiori stumbled, barely keeping herself upright by digging the tip of her Zanpakuto into the ground beside her, using it for support. Shunsui was closer to her, now, and he wore an expression on his face that looked almost apologetic.

"I really do wish you had just agreed to give it up and drink with me," he muttered tiredly. Hiori coughed, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood on her lips. Hiori was breathing heavily, now, clutching desperately at her stomach in an attempt to quell the flow of blood; It wasn't helping at all. She let her eyes slide closed as she felt her strength leave her.

Strong arms enveloped her, with her eyes still closed, and she felt soft fabric pressing against her skin. Slowly, she opened her eyes, taking note that all of the pain in her stomach had vanished. Peering up from underneath her lashes, she was met with the bottom of Amaterasu's chin, which was resting on the top of her head. She made to move to push him away, but even as she made only a small movement, his arms instantly constricted around her even more.

"You've been hurt again..." he murmured softly, and Hiori closed her eyes again, enjoying the feeling of being held.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "It wasn't your fault." Amaterasu pulled her away instantly, forcing her to look him in the eyes. He looked thoroughly outraged.

"_My_ fault?" he repeated angrily, causing Hiori to splutter confusedly. "You think I think this was _my fault_?" He let out a disdainful snort. Hiori crossed her arms, glowering up at her defensive Zanpakuto spirit with all of her might. "Yeah, right! This is all your fault for being careless!"

"Yeah, well-!" she began, but she really had no retort for that statement. She _had_ been careless; Daydreaming, for that matter, dwelling on what would have happened if she had indeed killed Kyouraku Shunsui. Amaterasu smirked, but only half heartedly, digging his hands deep into his pockets.

"Uh huh. That's what I thought," he said, narrowing his cold blue eyes at her. "You're always careless, and it's always me who's gotta bail you out!"

"That's your job, isn't it?" she retorted angrily. "You're my Zanpakuto spirit! Look after me!" Amaterasu scoffed, causing his shaggy black hair to flutter out of his face as he released air forcefully from between his lips.

"Na uh. No way." he said, giving Hiori what looked to be Jazz Hands of Denial. "Not my job to look after you, I'm just here to help you out occasionally." Hiori made an angry noise in the back of her throat, stomping her foot childishly.

"Uh, same thing, you big stupid idiot!" Amaterasu rolled his eyes in a rather obvious way, which did not go unmissed by Hiori.

"I'll tell you this much- You may have been a super bitch, but you were a lot better at insulting me way back when," he taunted, giving her a deadpan expression. "_Big stupid idiot_. Where'd you come up with that one, Elementary School?"

"I'm _improvising_, you big jerk!"

"Wow." Amaterasu said sarcastically. "More Derogatory Gold."

"Shut up!" she screamed. He was driving her crazy! How could someone made from her soul be such an _ass_? And at a time like this, no less, where back in Soul Society she was probably being bled dry. "You're so... You're... Ugly, unattractive, perverted weirdo!"

"Whoa, you just blew my mind with that one." he mocked, feigning shock and earning himself a deadly looking glare from the flustered red head in front of him. "Well, I guess I better get this show on the road..."

"What show?" she muttered, still sounding angry as Amaterasu drew closer. "Creep."

"Well, if I'm a creep and a perverted weirdo..." he murmured, drawing her face closer to his with a single finger under her chin. "Don't wanna disappoint, now do I?" He captured her lips with his, crushing her thin body against him as hard as he could. Hiori's eyes widened, her palms flat against his chest, struggling to push away- Though, admittedly, not as hard as she could have been.

A rush of wind suddenly hit her, and harsh light met her eyes as she was back in the middle of her fight. Her wound was still bleeding profusely, and her lips were still tingling from Amaterasu's kiss; She made a mental note to scold him for it later. A low whistle was heard from in front of her, and she lifted her eyes from the ground to meet the gaze of Kyouraku Shunsui.

"I've heard about your Bankai, but I've never actually seen it..." he muttered, gazing at her exposed stomach with interest. Hiori raised her eyebrows, glancing down quickly to see just what it was he was so entranced by it. Hiori's eyes widened in surprise, watching as her tattoo quickly began to climb up the skin of her left side. The inky black formed in a block pattern all up her side, and it was rapidly overtaking her entire left arm.

She was horrified and awe struck all at one time, her gray eyes following her tattoo as it finally stopped moving; Ending in a solid black circle in the center of the back of her hand. She held her breath, not even daring to blink. Just what was happening to her arm?

No sooner had she asked this question in her mind, small icicles slowly started to sprout from the skin that the tattoo ink covered. They began to grow, becoming longer and wider as they did so; Steam was rising off of her left arm, now, and she held it carefully in front of her face to examine it. The icicles ended on her shoulder, and directly above where the circle on the back of her hand was, a long blade the size of her forearm extended out of the ice.

It was black with bronze detailing, shining brightly in the afternoon light that it caught with its glossy sheen. Covering her fingernails were thimble-like attachments, which covered her fingertips before tapering off into long, sharp points. These, too, were black and bronze, matching with the blade. They were connected to the ice with heavy-looking, however small, bronze chains. Slowly, she lifted up her right arm, intending to touch it, but she was shocked to find that her right arm bore the exact same image as her left. They were both entirely coated in ice.

'This... Is your Bankai, Hiori... Say it. Say its name.'

Hiori shut her eyes, parting her lips as she reached deep down into the depths of her mind. For a moment she felt nothing, just an empty expanse of nothing... Then she felt it. She grasped for it, reeled it in until she had a good enough grip on it to move the words from her mind to her lips.

"**_Bankai... Touketsu Hanone.*_**"

With the utterance of these words, a wave of pure Reiatsu was pushed off her arms in a powerful wave, rippling through the air as if to intimidate her opponent. Shunsui, rather than being intimidated, merely looked impressed, allowing his eyes to trail over Hiori's arms with obvious interest. Hiori narrowed her eyes, pulling back her arms and allowing the blades to drag across the rock beneath her.

"It seems I should really start taking this fight seriously, huh, Hitsu-chan?" Shunsui murmured. He raised his Zanpakuto, preparing for whatever attack Hiori was planning. The next moment, Hiori lifted her foot off of the ground, shooting forwards too fast for the eye to follow. She was behind him, then in front, to his left and to his right.

She stopped in midair, directly above him, slashing downwards with her claw-like sword. This time, he did not have the time to implement Utsusemi, and real blood shot into the air as she tore through his kimono. He reacted almost instantly, crouching down and turning away from her before straightening up again. Hiori was in front of him faster than he had anticipated, crouching low in front of him before pushing herself upwards, arm outstretched.

He dodged just in time, though Hiori definitely saw several strands of brown hair fly loose from his ponytail as she cut it free. She smiled triumphantly, twisting around before sending a well-placed kick to Shunsui's gut; He was sent flying backwards, though he landed rather gracefully for being given such a harsh kick.

Hiori lunged forward again, deciding not to give him enough time to recuperate. He blocked his face with his swords again, forcing her to instead send a roundhouse kick for the side of his head- Unfortunately for Hiori, this gave him an unforeseen opening. Faster than she could blink he was beside her, sending his blade straight through her upper thigh.

A high pitched cry escaped her lips as she fell to the ground, glowering up at him as she clutching her upper leg in pain. She was breathing heavily, but he didn't even give her time to catch her breath. Without any warning he was in front of her, and she just barely blocked a heavy blow from Katen Kyoukotsu. She ground her teeth together, ignoring the pain in both her thigh and stomach as she struggled to keep her opponent at bay.

Another cut sent pain rolling over her nerves- She hadn't even realized that he had moved. She glanced down, watching as blood dripped over his hands. Shunsui was crouched low in front of her, his hand on the place between her shoulder blades, his other hand holding the Zanpakuto that was shoved directly through her abdomen. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head from the pain, and despite him being the enemy, she leaned her forehead on his shoulder.

She bit down on her tongue, forcing herself not to scream as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto from her body. Blood poured from her wound, the warm liquid spilling over her legs as she doubled over, groaning in agony. Far away, she could still feel Ichigo's Reiatsu. He was still alive... Was she going to die? The glasslike ice covering her arms shattered noiselessly, the blades vanishing along with the rest of her short lived Bankai.

"Please don't misunderstand, Hitsu-chan," Shunsui said softly, undoing his Shikai release and placing his twin Zanpakuto back within their respective sheaths. "Unlike most people here, I do not hold much against you... Although, admittedly, you were not my favorite..." Hiori smiled bitterly as Shunsui eased her back onto the ground; Her breathing was quickly becoming shallow, and she could feel a mixture of blood and bile rising within her throat. What lovely last words to hear: 'You were not my favorite'.

"For what it's worth, it really does look as though you've changed." he murmured. He was crouched beside her now, elbows resting on his bent knees, gazing into her quickly darkening eyes with a mixture of pity and remorse. _I don't need your pity_, she wanted to say, but she could not find her voice. Hatred or anger would even be better than pity. "Ukitake always believed you would... That's very like him."

Hiori wanted to know who Ukitake was... She wanted to see Ichigo again, talk with her brother... To go back to the world of the living. Her thoughts were cut short by frantic calls, and she shifted her bleary eyes to watch as a woman ran swiftly in their direction.

"An urgent message!" she yelled, stopping just short of where Shunsui sat. He lifted his head, breaking away from Hiori's weak gaze, to stare at the woman.

"My Nanao-chan, it's not like you to be so agitated... By the way, did a boy from the Dark Brigade come?" he asked curiously. "What was it about?"

"Captain Aizen has... Passed away." she said woefully. Through her hazy mind, Hiori knew that she recognized that name. Aizen... Aizen... Why was her heart fluttering with fear every time she thought of that name? Shunsui's eyes were wide, a shocked expression on his face, though he remained crouched at Hiori's side. "The cause of death is severe heart injury and removal of the Hakusui*** **with a Zanpakuto." she explained, careful to keep her voice as level as possible.

Something inside her was quivering with fear. Aizen... Aizen... The name was so familiar. She could even recall the feel of his Reiatsu, though she couldn't remember how. Her mind was hazy, foggy, and she was feeling sluggish. Loss of blood, perhaps. Aizen...

"No suspects, yet." the woman continued. "It is definitely homicide. It was a top priority order under the combined authority of Commander Yamamoto and Captain Hitsugaya." Hiori's heart leapt at this. Her brother... She had to remember who this 'Aizen' was, for her brother. "There is no doubt to the report..."

"So... Sousuke-kun..." he murmured, mostly to himself, as he straightened up at Hiori's side. "In that case, let us go pay him a visit..."

That was it- Aizen. _Aizen Sousuke._

Frantically, Hiori reached out, groping the open air until her hand wrapped around Shunsui's ankle. He stopped mid-step, glancing over his shoulder to stare at the dying woman behind him. The woman called Nanao stiffened, raising her hand.

"Shall I finish her off...?" Shunsui waved her away, and did not pull his eyes away from Hiori. He could see her lips moving, struggling desperately to form words she knew she had to say.

"Ai... Zen..." she choked out, blood bubbling at the corner of her lips. "He... Hollowfi... Cation... Traitor..." Her words were incoherent, nonsensical, she knew. She wanted to say more- Say it clearly: _Aizen Sousuke is a traitor._ But her voice and breath were gone. Life was leaving her.

Shunsui knitted his eyebrows together, and the woman looked simply outraged. She turned on her heel, briskly walking away from the bloody scene before her. Shunsui, however, hung back several more seconds. He looked deep into Hiori's eyes, something that looked like understanding flickering within his eyes. Did he believe her?

_Aizen Sousuke is a traitor._

"I really am sorry about this, Hitsu-chan." he muttered, shaking his ankle free from her blood painted hand. "I apologize... For keeping you from your friends." And with those final words he was gone, leaving Hiori to what she figured were going to be her last breaths. She gasped loudly, clutching her stomach as pain went shooting through her nerves.

_Aizen Sousuke is a traitor._

"Don't worry, Hiori." A familiar voice, though she couldn't place it through the fogginess of her mind. Who had been with her, again...? "I will not let you die. Not when you've been given this second chance at life..."

_Aizen Sousuke is a traitor._

"I promise you... You'll see Ichigo again."

_Ichigo... Aizen Sousuke is a traitor._

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><p><strong>*Senka: Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponents back. Directly attacking and sealing one's Saketsu (<em>Chain Binding<em>) and Haksui, or _Soul Sleep,_ in one strike.**

***Utsusemi: It allows for a movement at great speed leaving an afterimage behind. The afterimage may even appear to have taken damage.**

***Touketsu Hanone: Frozen Fang.**

***Hakusui: The "spirit of a spirit". A spirit's Hakusui is like a living person's soul.**

**This was probably the longest fight scene I have ever written. Ever. But all in all, I think it turned out better than I had been expecting. I've never been too good with writing fight scenes, so I'm always a little worried as to how they will turn out.**

**Amaterasu made an appearance with this chapter- I really love writing dialogue between him and Hiori, so expect to see much more of him in the future. Especially in the upcoming Arcs. He'll be playing a big role in those.**

**I tried my best to portray Shunsui's lazy personality- I also felt that he isn't really the type to hold on to grudges for too long, so even if he didn't like Hiori in the past, he knows things can change. He also mentioned that Ukitake "knew that Hiori would change"... But more with that later. (Ukitake is one of my favorite Captains.)**

**Hiori's Bankai, Touketsu Hanone, uses her arms as a vessel for its power. Both arms become covered in icicles, and a blade extends from within the ice, and it's about as long as her forearms. Her fingertips are covered with small blades, which resemble sharp claws, though they fit on her fingers much like thimbles would. These are connected to the blade and the ice by thick bronze chains. The color scheme of her blade and claws is similar to that of Suzumebachi, Suì-Fēng's Zanpakuto, in Shikai.**

**To AkkeAndringa: I know manes on lions are normally just on the males, but I figured that unless I put a distinguishing characteristic like a mane on her Hollow, it'd be difficult to distinguish it as a lion, if that makes sense? Otherwise, I feel like it'd just bare too much resemblance to other big cats, like Grimmjow's Panther form, for example. So I figured I'd just make an exception. Thanks for the reviews, and the fanart, too, by the way!**

**Thanks for all of the reviews last chapter, they're always appreciated!**


	25. P2: Ukitake and the White Tower Rocks

...** Readers, please be sure to read the A/N at the bottom!**

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><p><em>"One's pride is cast aside, we beasts take a step closer. One heart killed, we beasts will fade away."<em>

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><p>Pain.<p>

That was all Hiori felt as she lay on her back. Her eyes were open, but only just, and the world around her was bleary from the strain. Tears stung her eyes as she tried desperately to blink them back, but to no avail. For a moment she ceased to breath, only listening to her surroundings and the world within her mind. But she heard nothing.

Where was Yoruichi? Had Yoruichi left before the end of her fight? If that was the case, then who was it who had taken her... Wherever she was now?

_Or maybe I'm dead..._ Hiori thought bitterly. She could no longer here Amaterasu, and the intense pain that she felt was quickly leading her to believe that she was in some sort of hell. Deciding that she had better figure it out, she braved the pain, sitting upright in order to take a better look at just where she was. Hiori cringed, doubling over and clasping her arms over her stomach, where the pain seemed to be radiating from.

"Please, Hiori-san, you shouldn't move." Hiori froze instantly, but her mind went into overdrive. There was a man, a man who she didn't know, only feet from her. Of all the things that could have happened to her in this state, why this? Why couldn't she have just been in hell? "Lie back, just crouching like that won't help you to heal." Despite her senses screaming at her to run, Hiori did as she was told. The pain subsided, and she at last opened her eyes to get a look at the mystery man beside of her.

Flowing white hair blended with a white Captain's jacket, and kind green eyes looked on her fondly as he began to unwrap bandages from her stomach. Hiori's breath caught in her throat as she surveyed the old man, meeting his eyes only briefly when he looked away from her wounds. Something cold grazed her now exposed midriff and she flinched, causing the man to chuckle lightheartedly.

"As suspicious as ever, I see," he murmured, lifting his hands to show her what he was doing. "I assure you, I have fully sterilized my hands, and I have no intentions of harming you. You see?" Hiori paused, taking in his appearance one more. Something about the man seemed... Oddly familiar. She knew that she shouldn't have thought it strange, considering that he seemed to know her, but before now she had never felt a feeling of similarity when running into people she had formerly known. Not even her own brother.

"Who... Are you?" she asked slowly, her gray eyes carefully guarded as she watched for any sort of reaction. The man simply smiled, his cold fingers brushing against her skin again as he placed clean bandages over her wounds.

"How strange." he replied as he pressed the palm of his hand to the small of Hiori's back, forcing her to arch her spine in response, allowing him room string the bandages around her midsection. Much to Hiori's chagrin, her face seemed to heat up a considerable amount, and all that she seemed to be able to concentrate on were his hands, one of which was still placed soothingly on her back. "It really does seem that you have forgotten everything..."

"I'm rem... I remember some things." Hiori said, mentally slapping herself as she stumbled over her words. What the hell was wrong with her? The man paid her no mind, however, and at last his hands left her body and instead moved to tend to her used bandages. He smiled kindly, though he did not look her in the eyes.

"Do you remember me, then?" Hiori frowned and touched her palms to her cheeks, which only seemed to be getting more red by the second.

"I'm starting to think that I do," she whispered, mostly to herself, and the man cast her a questioning look.

"What's that?" he asked, but Hiori shook her head swiftly. He continued to watch her carefully however, much to Hiori's dismay. It seemed that even though her mind had forgotten this person, her body sure hadn't. She hadn't been with the man for even ten full minutes, and all ready she was acting as if she were completely in love with him. "Hiori-san, are you alright? You seem a little-"

"I'm fine!" Hiori gasped, ignoring the pain in her stomach just enough to curl into a ball and bury her face in her knees. "Completely fine, you can go now!"

"Hiori-san, you shouldn't curl up like that." the man said soothingly, and Hiori felt his hand touch the back of her neck, which also seemed to be on fire with embarrassment. "The wounds may open up again."

"No, nope. You know, I think I'm healed!" she replied nervously, and through a screen of her hair, Hiori could see the man's smile grow a considerable amount. Shoot- He was so onto her. "Yeah, you know, I feel super! I think I can go," she said resolutely, standing up in one swift motion. A moment later, she collapsed back down on the bed, breathing heavily and looking very red in the face. The man laughed quietly as he watched Hiori become increasingly flustered, which only resulted in turning her face a stunning shade of scarlet that clashed with her hair.

"It certainly seems that a part of you remembers me," he observed fondly. Hiori scowled, still unsure of how to handle such a strange situation. The two were silent for a long while as Hiori's flushed face subsided. The man continued to smile at her fondly, and Hiori was beginning to feel something radiating from him that was almost paternal, though she was quite sure she had no parents in Soul Society. "It's been a very long time, hasn't it, Hiori-san?"

"Uh... Yeah, I guess so..." Hiori muttered quietly. Her eyes were still set suspiciously on the man, "It didn't feel very long to me."

"Two hundred years is a long time."

"People say I was asleep for most of it,"

"I see..."

The pair once again fell silent, and Hiori decided to turn her attention towards the windows. Just beyond the glass, she could clearly see water, which made her more than a little nervous. She sincerely hoped that they weren't on a boat... She really hated boats. The man, who had been studying her carefully, let out a deep laugh as her flustered expression changed to one of insecurity.

"Are you really still uneasy around water, Hiori-san?" he said, his tone almost affectionate. Hiori gritted her teeth in frustration, tearing her eyes away from the open water and turning to glare at the white haired man.

"Yeah, so?" she retorted, ignoring him as he told her to calm down. "Maybe I am, why should you care? Do I _know_ you, old man?" He blinked slowly, taking in her words carefully before replying.

"...Old?"

"Yes, old. Your hair is friggin' white!" Hiori blurted, though she soon realized that her own brother's hair was white. The man smiled, and Hiori was starting to get seriously pissed off by his lighthearted attitude.

"I won't deny that I am a little older than you, but I have had this white hair since I was younger." he replied jovially. "It's from an illness." Hiori bit her lip as guilt rose in her throat like bile. She had just called some guy who had been taking care of her 'old', and then found out that he was sick.

'Wow. Way to be a bitch.'

Hiori's eyes narrowed as Amaterasu's voice once again filled her mind, and she had to work hard to keep herself from saying 'shut up' out loud. The man finally stood, towering over Hiori where she lay, and made his way towards a small desk by the window. Hiori followed him carefully with her eyes. She felt as if she had struck a chord, but when she opened her mouth to apologize she was cut off.

"There was a time when I thought that you would come to be like a daughter to me," he murmured as he shifted through a stack of papers on the desk. Hiori's breath hitched in her throat, and she felt her heart quicken with his words. "When you first arrived here, you were lost. I thought that I could help..."

"Help me what?" Hiori asked, though she already had some idea. What was more, she was already sure of who this man was: Ukitake, the man the Shunsui had mentioned during their fight. He had said that Ukitake believed that she could change. No doubt this was the man of which he had spoken.

"Become a better person, maybe?" Ukitake smiled bitterly to himself as he stared out over the water. "It even worked, for a time. You talked to me and you listened to me. But then you stopped," Hiori lowered her eyes, choosing to stare at her hands rather than the bitter man in front of her. "I thought that I could change you because you were so fond of me... I guess I was wrong... And then you vanished."

A sudden knock on the door caused Hiori to jump rather obviously, and Ukitake motioned to her to stay put as he walked towards the door. The voices were hushed so that Hiori couldn't make out what they were saying, and she instead chose to utilize this time to get herself out of bed. The pains in her stomach increased as she rose, and she nearly tripped wen Ukitake let out an enormous yell.

"AIZEN WAS MURDERED!" Hiori froze, her fingers inches from the hilt of her Zanpakuto. Aizen was dead? No... It couldn't be. Unless someone there had found out about his betrayal? But even then, with skills in battle like his, there was no way he could be killed so easily. It just wasn't possible. "When? Who did it? Why?"

"Th... This morning." a stammering voice replied, and Hiori couldn't help but feel bad for the poor guy. Hadn't Ukitake ever heard of the phrase 'Don't shoot the messenger'? "The criminal and his motives are still unclear." Hiori strained her ears, desperately trying to make out the rest of the conversation, but to no avail. Sheathing her Zanpakuto and reattaching it to her sash, Hiori made to climb out of the window, but was interrupted by Ukitake loudly clearing his throat.

"O-oh... You're back." Hiori murmured, casting her guilty eyes over to meet his. "I thought you were... Y'know... Busy, or something."

"Where do you think you're going with wounds like that?" he asked calmly, though the hint of frustration in his voice was clearly evident. Hiori gulped, backing away from the window and facing Ukitake head on.

"I was going to find my friends." she admitted, and Ukitake raised an eyebrow.

"Frien- _Ah._ The Ryoka." he said, understanding at last. "I had heard rumors that you were here with them, but I did not believe it." It was Hiori's turn to raise her eyebrows, and Ukitake sighed. "What I mean is, you were never one to travel in packs." Hiori was quiet for a moment, green meeting gray for what seemed like forever before she finally chose to speak.

"I've changed, you know," she whispered, and though Ukitake's expression didn't change, she saw some emotion that she couldn't quite place spark within his eyes. "Shunsui said that you were right." With these words, Ukitake let out a loud laugh, as if it had been the last thing that he had been expecting.

"Did he, now?" he replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear. "Well that is rather unexpected." Hiori took a step closer, not caring that her cheeks became more flushed the closer she got.

"Ukitake, there's something that you should know." she murmured, and the man's eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought that you didn-"

"Shunsui mentioned you- That's not the point." Hiori said quickly, ignoring Ukitake's extremely confused expression. "It's about Aizen." His previously confused expression swiftly changed to one of suspicion, and he took a step closer towards Hiori.

"Your Ryoka wouldn't have something to do with this, would they?" he asked, but Hiori cut him off before he could go any further.

"_No._ It's not about the murder, it's about Aizen himself." Hiori's heart was racing. Would he believe her? Would anybody believe it? "Aizen... It's Aizen who turned us into Hol-" Hiori's mind suddenly went blank. All the words that she had planned on saying were forgotten. Far away, she could feel something familiar... Something dangerous. And somehow, she felt that it was so much more important than what she was about to say. An enormous Reiatsu seemed to be pressing down on her from all sides. It was a Reiatsu she recognized, but not because she knew it.

It was a Reiatsu she knew because she had been promised death by it.

"Hiori-s-" Hiori silence Ukitake with a single finger, pressing it against his lips carefully as she reached out with her sub-conscience. She could feel the energy growing, as if something had triggered it. Hiori let her eyes slide closed, and the moment that the blackness surrounded her, she felt the trigger.

_Rukia._

"I have to go," Hiori's eyes snapped open, and before Ukitake could say anything further, the glass of the nearest window had been shattered. Forgetting the large expanse of water surrounding her, and the thousands of unseated Shinigami between herself and Rukia, Hiori raced off in the direction she had felt the Reiatsu. Behind her, Ukitake watched as she leapt from roof to roof, and his green eyes softened.

"Not to worry," he murmured to himself while he gather his Zanpakuto. "I'll stop it."

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><p>Not knowing where you were headed, but going all the same. For Hiori, such a feeling was the least of her problems. Thoughts of her encounter with Ukitake still swirled through her head, mixed with a strange feeling of guilt and disappointment. Why hadn't he said that she had changed, just as everyone else had? Somehow, Hiori felt as though she required his approval in order to feel truly at piece.<p>

Up ahead, and growing ever closer, Hiori saw the enormous white tower known as Senzaikyu. She remembered that Yoruichi had explained that Senzaikyu was where Rukia would be held- And the Reiatsu that Hiori could feel emanating from it was only proof that this deduction had been correct.

Using with all of the strength she could muster, Hiori leapt from the top of the gray stone tower with her arm outstretched. A second later, her fingers made contact with the wooden railing, allowing her to pull herself up and over. Her torso felt as if it were on fire, the aches and pains within almost too much for her to bear. Her thoughts were clouded by the pain, but something inside of her just wouldn't allow her to stop.

She could feel them. Rukia... And Byakuya. They were so close, but her feet felt like lead, and blood was beginning to seep through the bandages that Ukitake had wrapped so carefully. A loud, rasping cough escaped her throat, and Hiori could taste the metallic tang of blood on her lips as she pressed forward. In her weakened state, the enormous Reiatsu felt as if it was crushing her bones where she stood. At last she rounded the corner, grasping the hilt of her Zanpakuto in preparation for a fight- Only to have her eyes fall on the familiar white hair of Ukitake.

His hand was wrapped around Kuchiki Byakuya's wrist, in which he held only the hilt of his Zanpakuto. A look of frustration marred his features, and as Hiori drew closer, she began to be able to make out the words that left their lips.

"Ho, ho, now that was scary!" Ukitake said jovially, though Byakuya did not seem to share his enthusiasm. "I think that's enough... Don't you agree, Captain Kuchiki?" Hiori was now almost directly behind Ukitake, and a look of pure malice crossed over Byakuya's face as his eyes fell on her.

"C... Captain Ukitake!" Rukia cried, who still had yet to notice Hiori's arrival. Ukitake gave Rukia a small salute, an enormous grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, Kuchiki!" he replied happily, and both Byakuya and Hiori seemed to find this strange display of happiness thoroughly off-putting. "You've lost weight, how're you feeling?" Hiori made a face; Of course she'd lost weight, Soul Society had probably been starving her all this time. How apathetic could this guy be?

"What's the meaning of this?" Byakuya inquired darkly as Ukitake released his arm. His furious eyes never left Hiori, and he still seemed to be the only person who had noticed her.

"Hey, hey, that's my line." Ukitake replied, though his tone was not so light hearted. "Releasing a Zanpakuto here is a first class offense, even if you're fighting Ryoka-"

"These are war times, that ban has been lifted," Byakuya replied. Ukitake opened his mouth in surprise, but before he could make a reply, Byakuya lifted a single arm and pointed in Hiori's direction. "And I was referring to why you brought this Ryoka along." Ukitake did a double take, turning around to glance at Hiori twice before answering.

"Ah, Hiori-san, fancy seeing you here." Rukia's eyes widened, and she peered around Byakuya to stare, wide eyed, at the red head.

"Hiori!" she cried, her eyes frantic as they darted back and forth between her brother and her friend. "Hiori, go!" Hiori ignored this, however, and instead reached for Amaterasu. A high pitched wail filled the empty space, and Byakuya's grip on his own Zanpakuto tightened.

"Good to see you again..." Hiori murmured darkly. The dark haired man stood tall, placing his Soul Cutter directly in front of his face. "Kuchiki Byakuya."

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><p><strong>Alright- FINALLY an update! I've been off of FF for almost the whole Summer due to Art School and job hunts and concerts, so I'm really sorry for the wait! But I got a lot of things done, and now that Summer is winding down, I figured that I should indulge my loyal readers and update this thing!<strong>

**This chapter may be a little off, since I've been gone for so long, so please don't hesitate to let me know what you think! I feel that I should also clarify that Hiori's reaction to Ukitake does NOT imply that they had a relationship. Even though that aspect of her life isn't very important, all will be explained in the end, so just bear with me.**

**Also, even though I didn't like leaving FF for so long, it made me pretty happy to see that people didn't like that I wasn't updating it. I even got a PM about it. So thanks to all my readers for keeping me goin'.**

**On another note: If any of you reviewers have an OC you don't mind me using, go ahead and post their details in the review. Even though it may be a while before I can actually use them, I'm going to need to introduce someone in the Arrancar Arc that I can keep using through the Fullbring Arc, and I don't really have any ideas. So, in short:**

******GOT AN OC? REVIEW WITH DETAILS PLEASE.******

**If I get multiples, I'll pick the one that I like best, and I'll probably bring them in around the time of the Arrancar Arc. Keep in mind that they will have to be used through the Fullbring Arc so, you know... Give 'em a Fullbring.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews and, of course, for your patience!**


	26. Part 2: Reunited, the Second Release

...**BE SURE TO READ A/N AT THE BOTTOM please!**

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><p><em>"Lighting fire on the untouchable fang... Like solving a problem without looking up to the stars... Like there's no need to yell until the voice is gone."<em>

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><p>Just what kept bringing the stern Kuchiki into her life, Hiori wasn't quite certain. All she knew was that then, in that moment, they opposed each other. Two immovable forces, both of them strong in their own ways. One would have to give in... Eventually. Hiori just prayed to the Heavens that it wasn't her who caved.<p>

"I don't want to fight you." Hiori murmured. Rukia's face, clearly warped with something that looked strangely like fear, watched the scene in front of her in awe. What was it about the red head that her brother loathed to such an extent? A moment later, she lowered her eyes; She knew. Her brother's feelings towards others were always guarded- It didn't matter what connection you had with him. The minute that you were the enemy, his back was turned to you. Rukia knew this all too well. She had experienced first hand the extent of her brother's apathy.

"I fail to see why that matters," the older Kuchiki replied, though it was difficult to make out the words over Amaterasu's sorrowful lament. "You are both a criminal and a traitor; Either fight, or you will die here."

"If I fight, I may die here anyways." Hiori retorted, gripping her Zanpakuto even more tightly. Byakuya made a small noise in the back of his throat.

"True." he replied. Byakuya straightened his back, holding his body in a manner that suggested both lethalness and stature. "I cannot deny that I plan to kill you." Hiori's eyes softened, and for a moment it looked as though she were lowering her blade. She knew better than that, though. No one could be too careful around the Captain of the Sixth Division.

Behind Hiori, Rukia watched as Ukitake's eyes filled with what looked like sadness. Rukia herself had not known Ukitake at the time that he had known Hiori; She wondered vaguely if they had been close and, if so, in what respect? Had they been lovers? But Rukia tossed this notion swiftly aside as she watched disappointment cloud Ukitake's features. Perhaps things with Ukitake had not been so simple.

"Do you hate me that much, Byakuya?" Hiori whispered- But it seemed that the elder Kuchiki had at last had enough of speaking. His eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered to something much more sinister; Hiori began to feel something stir within her, as if he were a predator, and she was the helpless prey. Her muscles twitched with anticipation as she gripped her Zanpakuto still tighter- Within her mind, she could hear Amaterasu whispering through the Zanpakuto's song.

'You are not alone…'

"**_Scatter… Senbonzakura_.**"

"**_Thaw… Amaterasu_.**"

Onlookers were pushed back by the force with which the fighters had released their Soul Cutters, but Hiori had no time to marvel at either her sword's size or power. No sooner had the words left Byakuya's lips, his thin katana had transformed into thousands upon thousands of miniscule blades. The pink cluster paused and, a moment later, came speeding towards Hiori head on. Without having any time to think, Hiori could only do what came to her instinctually.

Her eyes closed momentarily, and she gathered nearly all of her Reiryoku within the split of her blade. The blue light glistened in the sun, and although Hiori was feeling rather drained, she also felt safe. The blue light expanded, shaking slightly as it made contact with Byakuya's Shikai. The man's cold gray eyes narrowed, watching carefully as Hiori blocked his onslaught of blades.

"I have never before had the opportunity to fight you," he explained monotonously, and Hiori glanced up briefly from the ground. "I have only ever heard about your various abilities through word of mouth... But this is much weaker than I had expected." Hiori's gray eyes narrowed in frustration- She knew exactly what he was doing; He was trying to spite her, rile her up so that, one way or another, she would make a fatal mistake. And, to Hiori's horror... It was working. "Materialized Reiryoku can only keep my Senbonzakura at bay for so long."

"Is that right?" Hiori hissed, and she got the feeling that her expression was one that was almost maniacal. She could feel the blades' pressure increase, and a cracking sort of noise met her ears. Byakuya was right- She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

'Use your Bankai.'

Hiori's eyes widened. Amaterasu's suggestion seemed not only groundless, but also extremely reckless. Her Bankai provided her no protection from Byakuya's Shikai, not to mention that she had only used it once before.

'You'll be faster if you use Bankai.'

_But will it be fast enough?_

'... You'll make it.'

Pushing her numerous doubts aside, Hiori concentrated the rest of her energy onto her tattoo. It was difficult, and time consuming, since the only other time that she had ever used Bankai was when Amaterasu had transferred some of his energy through direct contact. All around her was chaos, but the only thing that she could do was concentrate; Even as she heard the outer shell of her defense crack and then shatter, all that she could do was keep forcing her tattoo upwards, climbing all the way from her stomach to her left shoulder.

"You're finished, Hitsugaya Hiori." Byakuya murmured. The next second, her Shikai defense was undone, the tiny pieces of her own essence scattering around her like blue butterflies and mixing with the pink Sakura petals of Byakuya's Shikai. "Do you have any last words?"

"Yeah..." Hiori choked out, all the while a triumphant smirk growing on her face. "**_Bankai._**"

Not a moment too soon, the red head dodged the oncoming mass of pink, which hit the wooden planks of the bridge before scattering once more. From where she stood, Rukia studied Hiori's newest power carefully; The ice gleamed in the sun, and the long bronze blades scraped against the chains that connected the claws. But even just as an onlooker, Rukia could already tell that her time in Bankai was limited- Very much limited. Hiori, however, seemed to ignore this, and instead chose to aim yet another cat like sneer in Byakuya's direction.

"Sorry, I don't really feel like dying yet."

"... Pity."

Bending over backwards, Hiori managed to dodge Byakuya's Shikai yet again before standing upright and heading straight for the railing. Byakuya barely followed her with his eyes, merely sending his Shikai in the direction that she ran. Standing straight on both hands, Hiori allowed herself to fall from the bridge just as the Sakura petals made contact with the railing, demolishing the space where she had previously been perched. This time, Byakuya did look for her with his eyes- But she disappeared before he could spot her.

The tiniest noise, like mice scurrying over hardwood, made its way to Byakuya's ears. A sudden rush of air, and the Shinigami Noble barely managed to dodge a well placed kick from directly below his chin. Hiori, crouched directly beneath him, gazed up for only a moment as he took several swift steps backwards; Then she vanished for yet another time.

The fight continued to carry on in this manner for several more minutes; Ukitake's calm green eyes watched as the vivacious red head darted in every direction, always eluding Byakuya's grasp at the very last second. Perhaps he was the only one who saw it- Everyone seemed to say that Hitsugaya Hiori had changed entirely. But as the white haired man watched the girl who, so many years ago, he had almost considered a daughter, Ukitake could clearly see her old self beginning to take hold of her once more.

"Lookin' for me?" The elder Kuchiki's eyes widened as he felt five sharp points dig into his shoulder. It seemed that Hiori had, at last, utilized her speed in Bankai to give herself the upper hand in this strange battle of evasion. Rukia stared, wide eyed, as the red haired girl continued to do a sort of one armed hand stand on the man's shoulder, before finally looping herself over his body.

The Sakura petals were on her almost instantly, but before they could touch her she was gone yet again. Byakuya's cold eyes darted over his surroundings, his normal fighting stance now abandoned, replaced by something much more rigid.

"Maybe you have managed to improve your skills in Shunpo," Byakuya muttered darkly, calculating eyes continuing to seek out his sangria-haired assailant. "But it will take much more than a few scratches and evasiveness to beat me." Crimson droplets now stained Byakuya's once white Captain's uniform, the shallow puncture wounds barely visible beneath the stark cloth. A sinister snicker to his right alerted him of Hiori's reappearance, and before she could make her next move, his blades were on her.

A strangled cry escaped her throat as the tiny blades sliced her skin, crimson mixing with pink in the air as Hiori fell backwards. Byakuya's face remained impassive, though if one had looked closely, they would have seen something like triumph shining within his eyes. The aristocratic Shinigami didn't have much time to gloat, however, for no sooner was she down did Hiori stand up again. Her breath was coming out in deep, shallow pants, and she could feel blood rising in her throat.

'You got cocky.'

Amaterasu's words echoed within Hiori's frantic mind- He was right. After landing just a single hit, and a shoddy one at that, she had professed herself the winner. Clearly, she had been mistaken. Blood dribbled out from between the bandages on her stomach, which was heaving with the effort it was taking to keep herself upright. With another breath her Bankai shattered, the pieces of ice falling onto the wooden bridge noiselessly before disappearing all together. Out of the corner of her eye, Hiori watched as Ukitake cast his eyes downward- Hiori knew he could not help her, even if he had wanted to. She parted her lips as she slid to the ground, her back pressed up against the wooden railing of the bridge. Byakuya's cloudy eyes regarded her with carefully guarded interest, waiting patiently to hear what it was she wanted to say.

The red haired girl was unsure of just what it was that was making her say it. A distant memory, perhaps, or a feeling? But something inside her told her that she just had to ask, even if merely to gage the Kuchiki's reaction. The name on her tongue was one she didn't recognize, but she said it all the same, gray eyes meeting gray as the words finally escaped her lips.

"Hisana… Did you… get to be with her?"

She had precious little time to see just how the dark haired man would react. Hiori watched as his eyes widened with recognition, and even in her weakened state, she was sure that she heard Rukia's breath catch in her throat. Byakuya turned away, something that looked like bitterness clouding his features for a moment before he once again returned to his stoic self. A sudden Reiatsu filled the air, the owner of which was undoubtedly Ichigo. With one last look at Byakuya, whose attention was now directed to the open air to his left, Hiori let her eyes slide shut.

_I guess that's a no..._

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><p>"Why did you only take us back?" Ichigo's roar pierced through Hiori's blank mind, shaking her painfully from her stupor and back into the conscience world. As she blinked, the blurry images of Ichigo and Yoruichi came to her eyes- Though, admittedly, not in the way that she had expected. Yoruichi was pressed flat against a wall by none other than Ichigo, and judging by his voice, Hiori could only imagine his rage filled expression.<p>

"The person with the highest chance of survival back there was me!" he bellowed, though Yoruichi's expression remained completely stoic. "This way, Ganju and Hanataro and even Rukia may have been killed!" The dark skinned cat woman was silent for several long seconds, mulling her words over carefully before replying.

"Don't think so highly of yourself." she whispered, though it was not the usual timid tone that so often came with whispering. Her usually bright golden eyes now had a darkness to them; A shadow. Hiori couldn't help but shiver as she gazed into them... What on earth was happening? "You had no chance of surviving that fight- Didn't you see the state Hiori was in when we got there?"

This question seemed to throw Ichigo way off track, and Hiori watched with curiosity as his fist loosed on Yoruichi's collar. Hiori wondered vaguely what she had looked like upon Ichigo's arrival- Dead, maybe? A bloody wreck? She couldn't remember much of what had happened before she had completely blacked out.

"She must've been injured before... Or something," Ichigo growled, determined to keep up his argument. Was he just looking for somebody to blame? If anyone was to blame, Hiori thought, it was herself. Had Yoruichi not taken her back with them, she may have been able to take Rukia instead. "Besides, I'm stronger than Hiori-" At this, Yoruichi scoffed, and Ichigo seemed a little taken aback.

"_You're stronger than her_?" she repeated monotonously, and Hiori was suddenly reminded of Byakuya's way of speaking during battle. "Possibly... You could be, with work. But you aren't _better_ than her."

"I didn't say-"

"No, but you were thinking it." Yoruichi interjected. Ichigo paused, casting his eyes in Hiori's direction- She instantly pretended to still be asleep. "Hiori is hundreds of years older than you are, Ichigo. All of the Shinigami here are."

"I've beaten them before, I can do it however many times I need to!"

"You won those fights because you were lucky," Yoruichi scolded, but this only resulted in Ichigo pushing her roughly against the wall. "You were reckless, careless, and you were nearly killed."

"But I wasn't!"

"You. _Will_. Be." Hiori's breath caught in her throat. "You will die, Ichigo, if you do not listen to what I am trying to tell you." Ichigo's labored breathing made it to Hiori's ears as he took in Yoruichi's words. "What I said is true- Hiori is better than you are. I can only see this because I have seen her as she originally was; I know she can return to being the amazing fighter that she was." The orange haired boy backed away, and was now staring down at Hiori, who was still feigning sleep. "As you are now, if she cannot defeat Byakuya, then neither can you..."

"Then why didn't you just take Rukia?" Ichigo growled, clenching his fists with frustration. "Left Hiori and I, and taken Rukia?"

"I risked both our lives by bringing one extra back as it was. It's not easy to outrun Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Then _why-_"

Despite herself, Hiori jumped as Yoruichi slammed Ichigo's back into the wall directly behind them. He let out a strained grunt, which Hiori knew could only mean that he was still injured. Such a gesture would not have hurt him otherwise.

"I don't expect for you to understand." Yoruichi hissed, her feline-like traits revealing themselves as her anger increased. "But I have lived with this girl for a full two years- I have watched her grow, and I've watched her struggle. I watched as she changed when she met you and Rukia- Every single connection she built in the human world, I was there... I was one of those connections."

Hiori's self control was wearing thin, and she was beginning to doubt her ability to fake sleep for much longer. Hot tears stung the corners of her eyes, and she felt her nose sting as she repressed her cries. All of this time, she had been so sure that Yoruichi, like so many others, had been unable to forgive her for the many sins she had committed in her past... She had never expected this.

"Maybe she's not so different than she was when I first knew her... Perhaps she still has a long way to go." Yoruichi's voice was carefully guarded, but even where she lay, Hiori could hear it shaking. "But I intend to let her have this second chance. And if I had left her there... I have no doubts about just what Kuchiki Byakuya would have done."

For several long minutes, all three of them were silent. Yoruichi's golden eyes came to rest on Hiori's dark red hair, while Ichigo's eyes settled guiltily on the ground. Ignoring the eyes burning holes through her skin, Hiori allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her lips. She allowed her eyelids to slide closed once more, a sudden, peaceful sort of feeling welling deep inside of her. Yoruichi cared about her... Yoruichi didn't hate her.

"All the mushy stuff aside," Yoruichi was the one to break the silence first, of course, bringing both Ichigo and Hiori out of their awkward stupors. "Despite your carelessness... In three days, I can both make you better than Hiori _and_ strong enough to defeat Kuchiki Byakuya. That is why... I've brought you back." She paused again, releasing Ichigo and allowing him to stumble away from the wall. "Aside from Byakuya, Ukitake was also there. He is Rukia's superior... And a very important person to Hio-" She stopped talking, as Hiori had at last decided to make her awakened state known.

"What I mean is... He wouldn't let anything happen to them." With these last words, Yoruichi turned her attention to the now awake Hiori, who was clutching her side in pain as she stood herself upright. "Well then... Look who's finally decided to join us."

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><p>"Let me ask you something, Ichigo."<p>

Yoruichi's calm voice broke through the heavy silence that covered the rocky landscape. Ichigo and Hiori stood side by side, Ichigo's Zanpakuto drawn and positioned in front of him. Hiori, on the other hand, had chosen to leave her Zanpakuto in its sheath until she was sure that Yoruichi had finished speaking; Amaterasu usual caused quite the racket, and she figured that it would just be easier to wait until Yoruichi was finished.

"Have you ever realized that Zangetsu is always in his released form?" Ichigo made a face, doing a double take of sorts as he looked between Yoruichi and his Zanpakuto. Finally he turned to Hiori for answers, but she merely shrugged. After all, she knew about as much as he did. "Take a look at Hiori's Zanpakuto... When she first takes it out, it's considerably smaller than yours is."

"Huh... So that's why it's so much bigger." Hiori murmured, gazing at Ichigo's Soul Cutter with mild interest. "I always figured you had... Y'know... A _size_ complex."

"I- _What?_" Ichigo spluttered, rounding on her as soon as the words left her mouth. "What the hell does that mean?" Hiori simply smirked, looking Ichigo head to toe before making a reply.

"Judging by your reaction, I think you know what I mean."

"_Enough._" Yoruichi spat angrily, placing her hands on her hips. "Hiori, try to be an adult." Ichigo cast a triumphant sneer in Hiori's direction. "And Ichigo, suck it up. We've all thought that about you at one time or another."

"Hey, wait, that's not-"

"I said, _enough._" Golden eyes turned icy momentarily, silencing both teens instantly. "Now. Since you didn't know, I'm also assuming that you did not know that there is another level of Soul Release for Zangetsu." Ichigo's eyes widened, and Hiori resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Even _she_ knew that, and she was the one who was suffering from a case from extreme amnesia.

"Not just Zangetsu," Hiori murmured. This caught Ichigo's attention, and his hazel eyes turned to her yet again.

"Can you do it? The second release?" Hiori nodded slowly, reaching behind her hips to touch the tips of her fingers to Amaterasu's hilt.

"I've only used Bankai for a few minutes though..."

"Bankai?" Ichigo repeated confusedly, shifting his gaze back to Yoruichi. "What's Bankai?" Yoruichi frowned, her bright eyes settling on Hiori momentarily before speaking.

"Hiori, stop getting ahead of me!" she said, her tone biting but playful at the same time. "I was counting on you not knowing this... You've achieved Bankai already?" Hiori smiled in a rather gloating manner, making a mocking peace sign at Yoruichi as she smiled.

"Sure have- Twice." Ichigo's head swiveled back and forth, following the brief conversation between the two women with interest.

"I don't get it. Is that a good thing?" Yoruichi nodded, once again turning serious as she went back into teacher-mode. Even when Yoruichi had been teaching her Shunpo, Hiori hadn't ever seen a side of her this driven... This focussed. Perhaps the situation was even more dire than she had been expecting.

"To become a Captain, you must achieve both Shikai and Bankai." Yoruichi explained simply, gauging Ichigo's reaction carefully as she barreled on with her explanations. "The only exception to this rule was Zaraki Kenpachi, the only Shinigami in the history of Soul Society to ever make it to the level of Captain without knowing his Bankai release."

Hiori arched a thin red eyebrow- Had Ichigo fought this man? Judging by Ichigo's expression, Hiori could only assume that he had. Someone with such raw power, to the extent where he could become a Captain with a Shikai release alone, it was a wonder that Ichigo had made it out alive.

"The power and forms of both Shikai and Bankai depend on the Zanpakuto, and they can vary based on the wielder's strength and training. But in general, one's strength can increase anywhere from five to ten times greater." With this statement, Hiori's eyebrows furrowed. That couldn't be possible- She had used Bankai herself, and she had neither felt or recognized any sort of change in her power level. Her speed, yes, but all in all she had felt completely normal. Yoruichi seemed to notice Hiori's confusion, for she halted in the middle of her speech, once again settling her eyes directly on the redhead.

"You, Hiori, may be the one exception." Hiori spluttered indignantly, preparing for an argument; Yoruichi, however, swiftly cut her off. "I am still unsure of why that is, since I have never seen you perform Bankai as you are now... However, if you really aren't experiencing such a change in power, perhaps it has something to do with your sudden change in personality."

Hiori pondered this carefully as Yoruichi moved on to a new subject. What if Amaterasu hadn't fully recognized her as his wielder, simply because she was not the same Hiori she used to be? What if Amaterasu was not really her Zanpakuto anymore... Did she not have the power required to tame such a powerful Soul Cutter? Or was it not her fault at all; Perhaps Amaterasu no longer represented her soul, and the two were less connected than she had thought.

"HIORI!" Yoruichi's sudden and barking voice cut through Hiori's dazed thoughts, making her jump visibly before returning her attention to the feline-like woman. Both of her arms were outstretched and, with each hand, she supported a large white cutout that faintly resembled that of a person. The figures seemed mostly two dimensional, though they had more substance than the small people one could cut out of paper with scissors. Hiori regarded the pair of cutouts with obvious interest, and Ichigo made a questioning noise in the back of his throat.

"What the hell are those?" he asked briskly, pointing towards the cutouts, though Hiori didn't think he really needed to. What else would he possibly have been talking about? Yoruichi smirked, however, patting the tops of her cutouts carefully as she answered his question.

"These are Tenshintai*****," she replied, her smirk continuing to grow along with Hiori and Ichigo's confusion. "Rare artifacts from the Special OP. Division- Because I am as stealthy as I am gorgeous, I managed to get two. You're welcome." Although Hiori could have come up with close to infinity witty retorts, she felt that now simply wasn't the time, and instead settled for a dramatic roll of the eyes and a swift exchange of glances with her orange haired companion. Even though Yoruichi was being rather helpful, Hiori couldn't help but get the feeling she would grow increasingly more gloating as time moved on.

"These can forcefully materialize the soul of a Zanpakuto."

"I don't get it..." Ichigo muttered thoughtfully, his eyes not leaving the Tenshintai. "What does that have to do with Bankai?" Hiori's eyes widened, understanding finally dawning on her. She understood it now, the inner workings that created Bankai.

"Because... Because you need to communicate with your Zanpakuto for just the innitial release... You need something more for Bankai." Hiori said softly. Slowly she drew her sword, the soft melody piercing the mostly empty space around them as it let out a high pitched whistle at her touch. "Isn't that right, Yoruichi?" She understood, now, just why her Bankai wasn't working for her. Amaterasu kissing her was merely a brief transferal- Borrowed power, a loan. It wasn't hers. He had never truly given himself up to her. As far as the two of them were concerned, as a pair, Amaterasu was still the one in charge.

"Exactly. At least one of you brain dead idiots gets it." Ichigo and Hiori exchanged weary glances, silently agreeing on what Hiori had been thinking only moments earlier; Yoruichi was getting cockier by the minute. "It usually takes as long as ten years to achieve it. If I remember correctly, Hiori, yours took you until graduation from the Academy."

"Huh... Is that less than ten years?"

"It is." Yoruichi replied, nodding curtly. Hiori snickered, punching Ichigo solidly in the shoulder playfully.

"Hah. Beat that, carrot top."

"Oh, he will." Yoruichi interjected, eyeing the pair of bright haired Shinigami in front of her. "He has to. Ichigo, you must beat Zangetsu into submission. If you can't-" The woman's words were cut short as Ichigo sprinted forwards, shoving the tip of his Zanpakuto directly through the Tenshintai. His eyebrows furrowed with determination and, as Hiori drew closer, she could feel powerful energy begin to form all around him.

"I don't want to know." he muttered darkly, peering ever so slightly to his right to watch as Hiori changed into her Shikai, allowing the very tip of her blade to pierce the material of the Tenshintai. "There is only one way to end this... And that is to go all the way to the end."

"Or die trying, right?" Hiori snickered, though part of her couldn't help but wonder if all of them were going to make it out of Soul Society with their lives. Yoruichi, however, took this sentiment lightheartedly, laughing loudly as an enormous amount of energy gathered around the pair of Tenshintai, turning the surrounding space white with light.

"Now, now." she whispered, her lips barely moving as the two Zanpakuto Spirits materialized in the center of the triangle formed by Yoruichi, Ichigo and Hiori. "No need to get so dramatic."

"Hiori, your Zanpakuto's a _dude?_"

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><p><strong>***ANNOUNCEMENT**** I need an OC for later arcs, so if you've got one, PLEASE don't hesitate to post it in a review! OC MUST HAVE A FULLBRING.*******<strong>

*****Tenshintai: Transform Soul/God Body****

**Also, I've been debating whether or not to put in a few "Omake Theater" extra short chapters, just about Hiori or something. There's a poll on my profile, so GO VOTE!**

**Please, please review people! I know I've made you guys wait so long for an update, and I don't plan on withholding chapters for reviews- I enjoy writing too much. But seriously, reviews would be really appreciated. AND SO WOULD YOUR OCS. Like seriously, I've got no ideas for one, and I really need one for later arcs.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Ichigo and Hiori have finally been reunited. Expect some funny bits in the next chapter, as well as some possible jealousy of our one and only Amaterasu on Ichigo's part- Bet he wasn't expecting his competition for Hiori to be with a Zanpakuto Spirit, am I right guys?**

**The end of the Soul Society Arc is next, and I'll be skipping right over the Bount Arc because I HATED it- SO SERIOUSLY, GIMME AN OC TO WORK WITH PLEASE. **

**Thanks to all my loyal readers, and don't forget to review!**


	27. Part 2: Glaring Contests

...

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><p><strong><em>Last chapter...<em>**

"Or die trying, right?" Hiori snickered, though part of her couldn't help but wonder if all of them were going to make it out of Soul Society with their lives. Yoruichi, however, took this sentiment lightheartedly, laughing loudly as an enormous amount of energy gathered around the pair of Tenshintai, turning the surrounding space white with light.

"Now, now." she whispered, her lips barely moving as the two Zanpakuto Spirits materialized in the center of the triangle formed by Yoruichi, Ichigo and Hiori. "No need to get so dramatic."

"Hiori, your Zanpakuto's a _dude?_"

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><p><em>"I have always been afraid... Always been pretending to follow you closely, always pretending to sharpen my teeth when the truth is, I am... Scared to death just treading on your shadow."<em>

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><p>Ichigo regarded Hiori's Zanpakuto Spirit with mixed feelings. No doubt he was intrigued- He had only ever heard of a Zanpakuto Spirit having the opposite gender once before, and that was with Urahara. All the same, the carrot top couldn't help but have an overwhelming feeling of contempt for the dark haired man standing alongside Zangetsu who, like Ichigo, seemed to be much more than taken aback by this sudden turn of events.<p>

"Hey, Ichigo, why's _your_ Zanpakuto an _old guy?_" Hiori countered, earning herself an enormous glare from said 'Old Guy'. Amaterasu, on the other hand, snickered with delight at the whole situation, and appeared to be genuinely enjoying himself. Ichigo turned to face Hiori, a mostly unreadable expression decorating his face.

"At least you knew mine was a guy- What kind of girly name is _Amaterasu?_" Amaterasu stopped snickering immediately, and Zangetsu let a rather uncharacteristic smirk mar his face for a brief second before returning once more to his stoney facade.

"I said the same thing when I first met him, actually." Hiori replied, and Amaterasu's glare continued to grow all the more icy. "It's pretty girl, isn't it?"

"That's what I'm saying!"

"Hey, go easy on the all-powerful Zanpakuto Spirit." Amaterasu barked from his place beside Zangetsu, who rolled his eyes. If he was such a powerful Zanpakuto Spirit, he wouldn't have needed the Tenshinkan to materialize. "I doubt I've been brought out of that hellish inner world for just any old chat, so maybe you should be a little nicer, or else I may decide I'm too tired to help you."

"_As if._" Amaterasu made a face at Hiori's unconcerned reply, folding his arms across his chest in a way that suggested he was on the verge of pouting. "You'll do what I say, stupid, and that's that. But... Yeah, seriously, Ichigo, lay off." Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly as he stole a quick glance in Amaterasu's direction.

"All I'm saying is that it's a girly name," he countered. "Took me off guard to see a guy instead, is all."

"Uh huh. And would such a _girly_ guy have been able to kiss Hiori?" Ichigo blanched, turning to face the blue eyed spirit head on. A winning smirk was plastered on his face, all jeers against his name seemingly forgotten with this one triumph. "_Twice._" he continued, holding up two fingers. "Hear it and weap, carrot head." Hiori, in contrast to Ichigo's now very pale face, had turned a brilliant shade of scarlet, which seriously clashed with her hair color.

"A-Amaterasu, let's keep that to-"

"Your fault for makin' fun of me."

"I don't care!" she hissed, crossing her arms angrily. "Th-that... Those... It was a private thing, alright? Keep _private_ things _private_!"

"It's true though." he clarified, nodding in Ichigo's direction. Hiori heard a faint growl in the back of Ichigo's throat, and she figured that she had better shut down the situation before things got too out of hand. Just why Ichigo was getting so worked up, however, remained a mystery to the redhead.

"B... But you said it was the only way to figure out your name, _and_ to achieve Bankai in such a short time!" Hiori protested, hoping that this would calm down the enraged Ichigo. "So it-"

"I lied." Amaterasu stated blandly, completely unembarrassed. Now it was Hiori's turn to blanch. She had been _tricked_... And now she was seriously pissed off.

"That was a lie?" she growled, gray eyes heating up with anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Amaterasu merely shrugged in response, completely unabashed by Hiori's embarrassment and rage. "You're my Zanpakuto Spirit- I'm supposed to be able to trust you! How the hell am I supposed to trust you if you lie to me?"

"Then don't trust me, end of story."

"You're kind of my _soul_, you moron, I can't just not trust you."

"Then... Trust me." Hiori let out a loud, barking noise from her throat, her extreme annoyance with her Zanpakuto Spirit quickly becoming apparent. What the hell was wrong with him? Were Zanpakuto Spirits even allowed to lie to their hosts? There _had_ to be some sort of rule against that, or something!

"You're a sexual predator, that's what you are!"

"Now, I never said _anything_ about sex." Amaterasu goaded, his smirk growing ever wider. "But if that's really what you want, I'm not gonna complain."

"Shut up!" Ichigo bellowed, pointing at Amaterasu in an accusatory manner. "Stop putting words in her mouth!"

"What's _your_ deal, Shinigami?" Amaterasu sighed, a bored expression now covering his face. "Over protective much? Just stay out of it."

"I will not-"

"What? Do _you_ want to have sex with her? Because if you do-"

"Absolutely not!" Ichigo and Hiori shouted at the same time, red tinting their faces as the swiftly avoided eye contact. Yoruichi, who was now standing to Zangetsu's right, exchanged glances with the older man. This was not at all what she had anticipated, and now the three of them were wasting precious time acting like children.

She had to admit, she had expected much more of Hitsugaya-Hentai's much feared Zanpakuto, Amaterasu. The many lives taken with that blade were too many to count on a single hand, and not all of them were ones of Hollows. In truth, she had expected something much more sinister- Especially not a young looking boy with the maturity level of a twelve year old.

"Alright, alright, alright." Yoruichi said in a bored tone of voice, clapping her hands as if applauding a show. Hiori, Ichigo and Amaterasu all stopped arguing to cast weary glances in the cat woman's direction. "Geez, you teenagers. Walking hormone bombs, I'm tellin' ya."

"You know, I'm actually your age-" Hiori was swiftly cut off by Yoruichi, who was determined not to stand corrected on this topic.

"_As I was saying._" she said with emphasis, her serious tone halting everything at once. Hiori suddenly felt uneasy as she exchanged glances with her Zanpakuto Spirit. Just what did she need to do to get her Bankai under control? And even when she did... Hiori really didn't want to face the never ending list of questions she had regarding her Zanpakuto. "Now, I trust that the two of you heard everything?"

"Of course." Zangetsu replied stoically. Amaterasu made a loud 'tch' noise under his breath, folding his arms in a defiant manner.

"Good. You will choose the method of battle... Can you begin immediately?"

Before Amaterasu could reply, Zangetsu stooped down- The next second, Hiori found herself surrounded on all sides by numerous, not to mention enormous, Soul Cutters, each bearing some sort of resemblance to Zangetsu's sword form. Her eyes widened as she beheld the astounding spectacle, though Amaterasu seemed far from impressed as he listened to Zangetsu explain the situation to Ichigo.

"And you?" Yoruichi murmured. Both Zangetsu and Ichigo paused mid stride, turning their attention towards the dark haired boy standing next to Hiori.

"Me?" he replied, throwing an arm around Hiori's shoulders. "It's... Yeah, it's so much better than this." he finished lamely, gesturing towards the hundreds of swords whilst Ichigo and Zangetsu returned to their fighting. Yoruichi merely rolled her eyes, giving up and sauntering away from the battlefield, no doubt muttering a stream of profanities beneath her breath. Hiori exhaled tiredly before giving one last snarky comment to her equally cocky Zanpakuto.

"Well... This should be _fun._"

* * *

><p>Hiori and Amaterasu had been silently glaring at each other for what seemed like hours; Ichigo's fight with his own Spirit had provided acceptable background noise, as neither of the stubborn pair seemed willing to make the first move. Yoruichi herself was seriously beginning to doubt that the Spirit known as Amaterasu had any sort of test at all. Quite the contrary, he showed no signs of starting a battle what so ever.<p>

"What the hell is this?" Hiori asked finally, her voice cutting through the silence that seemed to exist only in their small corner of the battlefield. Amaterasu smirked, but said nothing. "If I can go without blinking longer than you, will you give me Bankai?"

"I've given you Bankai."

"You know what I mean."

"I do."

"So, what?"

"What... What?"

"You _know_ what."

"Do I?"

"What?"

"Do I know?"

"..."

Hiori was quickly reaching tipping point, though she resisted the urge to blink just in case that was actually the test. Amaterasu continued to stare, unflinchingly, in her direction, his dark tresses rustling as a sudden burst of energy escaped from Ichigo's fight. The redhead formed an angry growl in the back of her throat, which Amaterasu quickly countered with a high pitched whistle. Hiori twitched in annoyance.

"Seriously, Amaterasu." she said, starting up their previous argument once more. "What the fuck is this?"

"You tell me." Hiori furrowed her eyebrows, but still did not blink.

"... How about _you_ tell _me._" she countered. Amaterasu seemed to take this into account, tapping his chin softly as if mulling it over for several seconds. However, any hope Hiori may have felt was short lived, as his trademark smirk came back into view moments later.

"Nah."

"_WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?_" Hiori growled, finally giving up on the no-blinking thing and charging straight for Amaterasu so she could punch him in his sorry face.

"Hah!" he barked triumphantly, though he narrowly dodged her punch. "I win, you blinked."

"I... What? That was seriously the test?" For a moment, Amaterasu looked seriously confused. Hiori made a face, urging him to connect the metaphorical dots in his mind. The moment she was sure he'd gotten it, however, he let out an unnecessarily loud laugh.

"What, are you kidding?" he sniggered, grinning broadly. Hiori's face drooped both from exhaustion and annoyance- Hell, she was exhausted _from_ annoyance. Who knew a materialized Amaterasu would be two... No, three times as annoying as he was in her inner world? "No, I just wanted to have a staring contest with you. But now that that's done, we can do your stupid test bullshit thing."

"If you weren't my soul, I would so kick you ass right now."

"And if you _were_ mine, you'd be a hell of a lot cooler." Hiori's response to this was simply to glower, though she had to bite her tongue to avoid indulging him in yet another pointless argument that usually ended with him forgetting what they had originally started fighting about. "Now... What was I saying?"

"Test."

"Right, test." he repeated thoughtfully as he sat down, cross legged, in the dirt. "Don't get excited... My test isn't all drama and 'are you worthy' filled. I already know that you are... That's not the problem." Hiori raised her eyebrows slightly. Amaterasu hadn't really ever praised her before... And she'd count admitting she was worthy of wielding him as praise.

"So... If that's not the problem, then what is?" This question seemed to get Amaterasu really down, for some reason. The moment after it left Hiori's lips, the Spirit let out long, low sigh, resting his head between his knees where he sat on the ground.

"You have to figure it out yourself."

"Ama-"

"I'm not saying it to be difficult." he explained, cutting her off before she could begin scolding him for being difficult. Hiori faltered- She had never seen Amaterasu get like this before. Just what was it about this test that made him so... Sad? During her time with him, Hiori had seen Amaterasu annoyed, angry, disappointed, and guilty. But never had she seen him sad. "If I tell you, there's no point. Just like the old man over there can't let Ichigo achieve Bankai without him finding the sword, you have to figure this out yourself.

"Then I can achieve Bankai?"

Instead of an instant 'Yes' or 'No', the blue eyed boy was completely silent for several minutes. Hiori drew closer, now inching across the dirt on her hands and knees. She could hear his heavy breathing, the steady rhythm as he inhaled and exhaled. She watched as his muscles rippled with his body's slightest movements, and how every time he heard the word 'Bankai', he twitched as if he were afraid.

"... More or less." Hiori touched her fingertips to his smooth skin. It was cold- So cold that it almost felt as if she were being burned. It was as though these arms were telling her that she did not belong. That she could not go to them. That they could not hold her. It dawned on her that, although she had always felt so close to the boy in front of her, they had also constantly kept each other at a distance. A distance just far enough that they could not be one, but just close enough that they were still left reaching for each other.

"Why..." she whispered finally, crouching down as close as she could get to Amaterasu. "Why won't you give me a straight answer?" She could feel his chill wash off of him in waves, and it hit her like a ton of frozen bricks each time she felt it. She could literally smell his fear from where she sat. Smell the uncertainty, the misery and the pain all at once. But still, she did not understand. Why was it that she could feel these emotions; What reason did Amaterasu have for carrying them?

Nothing fit... Nothing seemed to make any sense. He was her Soul and she was his Host, so unless he was afraid of Hiori herself, what more could he be frightened of? What was it about this test that Amaterasu was so desperately trying to avoid?

"Amaterasu... That Bankai-" Her Zanpakuto Spirit twitched yet again at the mention of Bankai; In that moment, Hiori could fit it all together. It was that one word that made it all come to light... The one thing that could make sense of it all. _Bankai._ It wasn't the word itself that struck fear into Amaterasu. No, that wasn't it at all. Hiori was certain of it.

She pressed her palm against Amaterasu's searing skin, braving the pain that came with the burning chill of it. He lifted his head, but only just, his shaggy black hair obscuring most of his bright blue eyes from view. Now that she knew what it was, everything about Amaterasu all seemed so... Vague. So unfamiliar. Something that she could touch but, all the same, was not quite there. It was as if he didn't belong there... As if he didn't belong to _her_.

"Amaterasu... That Bankai... It's not _mine_... Is it?"

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><p><strong>CLIFF. HANGER.<strong>

**Yeah, I did it.**

****I know this chapter is reaaaallyyy short compared to the others, but I wanted a cliffhanger, and... yeah. Sorry guys.****

**Anyways, I spent all day today sorting out stuff for the upcoming arcs- Namely, that OC that I've been freaking out about. I think I've finally got it all under control. AND IT WILL BLOW YOUR MINDS. So be prepared.**

**Next thing- I've gotten several votes on the poll on my profile, and I am now pretty sure that, at the end of the Soul Society arc, I will do AT LEAST ONE omake theater extra thing, which will probably put some humor in a few explanations of Hiori's past, the craziness that is her Zanpakuto, and possibly make fun of her extreme prior sluttyness.**

**Thanks to all my readers/reviewers/favorit-ers/alert-ers! **

**There's a review button... Right there... Please, click it.**


	28. Part 2: Countdown to the End

...

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><p><em>"On this road, we won't stop moving forward. Even if we are separated from one another."<em>

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><p>"So, then, I'm off."<p>

The now familiar voice of Abarai Renji cut through Hiori's distracted thoughts. She peered up at him, regarding him icily from where she sat, cross legged, in the dirt. Perhaps it was because he had not made a very good first impression, what with him and Byakuya nearly killing Ichigo and all when she had first met him. Despite her immense dislike of the man, Hiori couldn't avoid the numerous, not to mention uncanny, likenesses between them.

Tattooed skin, short tempers coupled with an equally lazy attitude, not to mention a goading personality to boot. He was practically a male version of herself. However, after spending only one day with the crass redhead (another physical characteristic that Hiori was loathe to share with him), Hiori found that she really couldn't stand him; A fact which was not helped by the comment that escaped his mouth next.

"The hell are you doing, Hitsugaya, all you've done is stare off into space since I got here."

"None of your goddamn business." she replied curtly, now carefully keeping her eyes locked on Ichigo's back. "Piss off."

Yesterday, Renji had exercised some seriously piss poor timing by crashing into their hideout, then informing them that Rukia's execution date had been moved up to noon the very next day. Not only was this information possibly the worst that the Ryoka group could have heard at that time, Hiori had been in the middle of deep and completely stressful conversation with her Zanpakuto Spirit; Such things seemed to go entirely unnoticed by the boisterous redhead, who had proceeded to nonchalantly ask if she was 'finished cuddling' and, if she was, to get her ass over there ASAP so he could finish explaining. Apparently, now that he was on their side, he had chosen to forget the rude way he had treated her back in the World of the Living.

"Do you think he'll make it?" Renji asked slowly, his eyes following Hiori's. The girl pursed her lips in reply while she continued to watch Ichigo from behind. Hiori didn't want to doubt Ichigo- He was strong, and she knew it.

She could still remember the first time he had released Zangetsu; She had only been grazed by its power, but she still had the scar to remind her of the damage Ichigo's power could inflict. Slowly, she cast her eyes downward, running her fingertips over the crooked scar that stretched over her knuckles. The skin that had been damaged was now several shade darker than the rest, and was no longer smooth and level as most skin was.

"He has to… Or Rukia _will _die." she replied finally, meeting Renji's gaze momentarily. "Now stop talking to me." Renji made a small 'tch' noise in the back of his throat, glowering down at the other tattooed redhead.

"Couldn't you do something?"

Hiori made no reply. They had a few hours, at best, before Rukia would die; Hiori was, by now, quite positive that Yoruichi was sharing her same doubts about just how quickly Ichigo would be able to resolve this fight with Zangetsu and master Bankai. He was rapidly running out of time- And if this didn't work, not even Yoruichi would be able to save Rukia. Hiori had hoped that she could, at least, master Bankai to back Ichigo up; Or if worst had come to worst, take his place as Official Rescuer. That notion had all together left her mind ever since her conversation with Amaterasu only hours previously…

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><p><em>"Amaterasu… That Bankai… It's not mine… Is it?"<em>

_This sudden revelation was coupled with a heavy feeling of despair, weighing down her chest like an anchor and threatening to make her fall to pieces right then and there. Touketsu Hanone was not Hiori's Bankai to fight with, just as Amaterasu was not her Zanpakuto wield. The agonizing distance between them was now explained. The difficulty with which she wielded her precious Zanpakuto was now apparent, and painfully obvious; She mentally cursed herself for not having realized it sooner. Amaterasu was as much her Zanpakuto as Zangetsu was._

_"It isn't." Amaterasu answered curtly, still refusing to look directly into her eyes. Hiori pursed her lips, biting back what felt like tears before they could spill over the edge of her eyes. So it was true… Of course it was true. The mind numbing pain that Hiori felt inside everyday now made sense entirely- After all, how could one feel comfortable housing a Soul that was not her own? "It's Hiori's Bankai." The redhead nodded. She had figured as much._

_"There's no way for me to ever truly master it, is there?" Amaterasu shook his head solemnly, lifting his head up a little more. Hiori could now clearly see the blatant fear and anger that clouded his features, and even though she was devastated, it made her feel better to know that Amaterasu felt the same. At least in this, they were the same. "What's going to happen now?" Her voice cracked, but Amaterasu ignored it, preserving Hiori's pride, for which she was thankful. If she started crying, she didn't know when she would stop. Not to mention that Ichigo was within earshot… She couldn't have him seeing her like that._

_"Now, one of us changes."_

_This answer took Hiori by surprise. Why would she be changing? Was it even possible for Amaterasu to change? She figured if it was, he would have done it already, though maybe the process couldn't take place until the vessel, meaning her, realized that there was a problem._

_"One of us…?"_

_"Both me and the Bankai belong to Hollow. Since you're no longer 'Hiori', you can't really use us to the full extent of our powers… Or control us fully by yourself, for that matter."_

_"I've done it before-"_

_"No." Amaterasu cut her off swiftly, his tone cold and biting, laced with aggression to mask the pain he was feeling. "No, you haven't. Each time you use me, you draw even more on Hollow's power. That's why she keeps getting stronger and stronger." Hiori's breath caught in her throat. No wonder she felt her hold on her grow every day. Each time she spoke the words 'Thaw, Amaterasu', she might as well have been saying 'Have my body, Hollow'. No wonder her personality seemed to change so much while fighting; Because, in those moments when her Shikai shield was protecting her, or her icy Bankai was covering her arms, she was allowing the Hollow that her body housed to taint her soul more and more. _

_She became less and less herself with each fight that she fought with Amaterasu by her side. The fact that the person… The Spirit closest to her was the one causing all of her pain made her feel cold, like her best friend had just betrayed her. She knew that it wasn't his fault. He hadn't asked for this. But all the same, he was not hers… She was not his. Strictly speaking, he was another person's Soul living in another person's body. _

_"… What do I have to do?"_

_"You have to stop using me." he replied swiftly, meeting her eyes. Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her heart begin to flutter and panic. "If you stop using me altogether, your new power will start to take me over." Before Hiori knew what she was doing, she had leaned her forehead against Amaterasu's, averting her eyes but wanting to be as close as possible._

_"What… What does that mean… For you?" She could hear Amaterasu's heavy breathing, his cold breath washing over her like winter wind. Suddenly, she felt him begin to shift positions; His sudden movement startled her, but she made no move to pull away. Instead, she let his hands grasp the back of her neck lightly, pulling her even closer, their noses now touching._

_"Either you let Hollow in, and I remain the same…" he began, and Hiori's eyes hardened. How could he even suggest that? Give up all that she was? Who she was? Give herself over to the rotten, corrupt pieces of her old soul that resided within her body? She could never do that, and Amaterasu knew better than to even suggest such things. She made to pull away, but Amaterasu's hands held her in place. "You didn't let me finish."_

_"What more is there to say?" she spat, allowing a few angry tears to spill over in her outrage. Oddly enough, she was glad Amaterasu was holding her so close; This way, Ichigo couldn't see her tears. "You want me to let Hollow in just so you can stay the same! Why would you-"_

_"Or let me go."_

_"What?" _

_"It's a choice." he replied, keeping his voice as level as possible. "And an easy one. If you can't let me go, Hollow will just force her way in again. Of you can let me go, I'll keep changing until I'm something different." Hiori peered up, making to say something comforting to him, but he stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Look closely. I've already started changing." Hiori did as she was told, gazing at his face carefully, looking for any signs of change. _

_She was about to give up, but something caught her attention last minute; His eyes. The solid blue that they had always been was now impure. His right eye, only his right eye, was now spotted with various shades of golds and reds. If she hadn't been looking so closely, she never would have even noticed. It was the tiniest change, the most insignificant feature. But it was there._

_"If you start honing your own powers, instead of relying on Hollows, this change will progress." he explained, tapping his eye with his free hand. "But Hollow knows that, too. She'll try as hard as she can to force this change out of me- Out of you. You can't let that happen."_

_"But you'll disappear!" Hiori hissed, grabbing his face in her hands. "You won't even be Amaterasu anymore- You'll die!"_

_"No. Just transform…" he murmured, meeting her helpless gray eyes. "Or something intense like that, right?" Hiori, however, didn't laugh. She remained passive, her eyes searching Amaterasu's for any more answers. None came. Instead, the moment was interrupt by an enormous crash from above them, and Hiori whipped her head around. The dust cleared, and her eyes narrowed. She knew this person; Tattoos and red hair, drawn up into a spiky ponytail. Most of his chest was exposed, heaving from the effort it must have taken to bring down the outer walls of their hide out. _

_"Hey. Count me in."_

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute," Hiori murmured, catching Renji off guard in the middle of an argument with Yoruichi. "I'll leave with you."<p>

"What?" Yoruichi snapped, turning her attention away from Ichigo. "I haven't seen you master Bankai, you can't just-"

"I can't." the redhead whispered, cutting Yoruichi off despite her quiet tone. "There's no way for me to. Not like this, anyways. I won't be able to master it in three days like Ichigo. He's a already got a Zanpakuto."

"And so do you, Amaterasu," Yoruichi said, though the way she was speaking made it sound more like a question than a simple statement of fact. Hiori lowered her eyes, just for a second, fixating her gaze on a single pebble on the ground. She knew that this was best. She had been watching Ichigo for a solid day- Maybe more. She had lost track of the numerous hours she had spent watching him. But she could already tell; Hiori could already clearly see how fast Ichigo was growing, changing, evolving. Not just in the way that he fought, but in the way that his mind and body worked together.

Their last hope of being able to save Rukia was Ichigo mastering Bankai- It was impossible for her to be the backup plan. She had no sword, she had no Bankai, and what was worse, she had a crippling Hollow that would do anything in its power to make sure that she drew on its power. There was no way for her to fight without calling on her Hollow, because essentially, her Hollow was her Zanpakuto.

"Yeah, what's the matter Hitsugaya, can't keep up with Kurosa-" A look of pure fury crossed the girl's face, silencing her red haired male counterpart in a heartbeat. The words were left unspoken, but both Renji and Yoruichi seemed to be able to hear them all the same: _Do not speak of things that you don't understand._

So with one last, tense look at Yoruichi, Hiori sheathed her sword. The soft, melodic hum ceased as soon as her skin stopped touching it, which made the area seem oddly silent, despite the sounds from Ichigo's fight. She wanted to say 'I'll explain later', or 'We'll talk'. But speaking to Yoruichi, or anyone else, would mean that she would be forced to admit the truth; Her soul was corrupt, split, undecided and deadly. Deadly to her, and to those around her. The many pieces that her soul had been split into were varied, and wouldn't fit together no matter how hard she tried. There was no compromise, but there wasn't a right or wrong choice, either.

One choice would lead her back to the person that most remembered her as- A ruthless but powerful killing machine with constantly parted legs and a state of apathy that could rival even Byakuya. Yet another choice was going with Other Hiori, a girl who she didn't know much about, but seemed level headed, down to earth and strong. One would think that Other Hiori would be the clear winner here, but Hiori just couldn't wrap her head around choosing. Would she forget who she had been for these past two years? Or would _that_ Hiori vanish altogether? Perhaps what Other Hiori had said was the truth: She was just an empty vessel.

"Hurry up!" Renji barked, bringing Hiori out of her inner turmoil. She hadn't even realized that they had begun to walk- They were already out of Yoruichi's underground hideout. The area around them was barren and dirt covered, for the most part, but up ahead she could see the standard buildings of Soul Society. All around her she could feel various Reiatsus flaring up, and she could already tell that fights had already begun to ensue. People were now choosing sides; Their friends... Or their country, so to speak.

"You're going to fight Byakuya, aren't you?" Hiori said, finally breaking the awkward silence between them. Her dislike of Renji had been made painfully obvious during his stay with them, not that she had even bothered to try and hide it in the first place. She hadn't liked him when she met him in the human world, and that wasn't about to change now just because they were on the same side.

"If Captain Kuchiki gets in my way, I will fight him." he replied curtly, not really looking at her as he spoke. "... He doesn't really hate you, you know." This bit of information caught Hiori off guard, and she nearly tripped in the middle of her next Shunpo. After doing an extreme double take, Renji seemed ready to explain. "Excluding the fact that you are a criminal in the eyes of Soul Society, mainly he's just disappointed." He spoke about it casually, as if Hiori and Byakuya were two best friends who had just gotten into an argument and were now giving each other the silent treatment. Hiori arched an eyebrow carefully.

"He wants to kill me because he's disappointed?" she scoffed, following Renji's lead and utilizing Shunpo once more to skip over several buildings. "Is he a closet drama queen?" A small smile tugged at the edge of Renji's lips, but he didn't indulge her, instead answering as professionally as possible.

"You've seen how he is with Rukia- His own sister, and he won't even try to stop this."

"What's he so disappointed about?"

"For one thing, you need to stop reminding him that you don't remember." Renji said thoughtfully, though Hiori was sure she could hear him suppress quiet laughter. "He won't talk about it, but I'm pretty sure you forgetting really pisses him off."

"I'd apologize, but it's not really my fault. Believe me, it pisses me off, too."

"Captain Kuchiki is... Moody."

"What is he, a girl?" Renji seemed to ignore this, not really wanting to engage in active Kuchiki Byakuya bashing at the moment. However, he did seem eager to explain to her just what it was that was going through the dreary noble's mind.

"He... Well, when you got the Lieutenant position in his own father's division, he let it go. He thought you deserved it." he began, and they finally stopped moving, pausing to catch their breath on the top of a building. In the distance, Hiori's eyes came to rest on Senzaikyu, and she wondered what Rukia must be feeling. She knew they were here... Was she waiting for them? Or had she given up hope? For Rukia's sake, all Hiori could do was believe in Ichigo, and hope that he could master Bankai in time. "But then you started changing. You got... Lazy, bitchy and slutty, and you didn't seem to care. You changed. You threw away _his_ dream, _his_ life. And you just acted like that was no big deal." Despite the many revelations this sentence could have provided for Hiori, she only latched on to a single phrase: _You changed._

"What do I mean, I changed?"

"Uh, I mean you... You know, started acting different, or whatever." Hiori rolled her eyes, but barreled on anyways.

"I know what change means, doofus, I mean to say-" _Was I different before?_ But her words and her curiosity were lost in a sudden burst of energy, which had escaped a fight several buildings away. Their gazes both snapped in the direction that the energy was coming from, distracting Hiori from this new piece of information just long enough for Renji to change the subject.

"Well, unless you want to fight Captain Kuchiki with me, I guess..."

"Yeah... I mean, no." she said, stumbling over her words. "There's um... There's someone that I need to find." Renji nodded slowly, patting her on the shoulder in a gesture that suggested closeness. Hiori made a face, eyeing his hand momentarily before he withdrew it.

"You're not so bad, Hitsugaya." Hiori chuckled darkly, meeting his eyes clearly.

"Wish I could say the same, you copycat." Renji opened his mouth, preparing for an argument, but Hiori merely smirked as she disappeared in a flash of Shunpo. Maybe the guy would come to grow on her... But she doubted it.

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><p>Strangely enough, it wasn't difficult at all for Hiori to find who she was looking for. It was as if her body was already used to looking for him; It seemed to seek him out almost automatically. Perhaps she really had been like a daughter to him. She guessed that she'd never really know for sure. She knew that it had taken longer... Much longer. But it seemed that, sooner than she could blink, she suddenly found herself in front of the quarters of the man called Ukitake.<p>

"Captain!" A loud yell from within jolted Hiori's senses, and she cracked the door open just enough to see inside. Two young Shinigami were bustling around the main part of the room, arguing between one another a little too loudly for her liking. "Captain, are you ready? Kuchiki's execution has already started-" Hiori's heart seemed to freeze right then and there.

Where was Ichigo? Was he ready? Did Yoruichi even know that, at this very second, Rukia was about to be mercilessly killed by the people she had once called her family and friends?

"Sorry to make you two wait so long," replied a familiar voice, and she watched as the doors that one of the Shinigami had been banging on slid open. "The seal took longer than expected. But... Since appealing to the Central Government didn't work, this is... The only way." At this moment, Hiori chose to burst her way into the room; She no longer cared if the two unfamiliar Shinigami attacked her. They weren't moving fast enough- Rukia was going to die, and if there was something that any of them could do about it, she was going to make sure that they did.

"Ukitake!" Hiori called, but not before dodging a well placed kick to the face from one of the Shinigami. She frowned, glowering at the much shorter girl, whose light brown hair hung around her face and gave her a rather childish look. The white haired man's attention was now entirely focussed on her, and green met gray as their eyes locked. "Rukia... How long do we have to save Rukia?"

"Not long. These-" he said, gesturing towards the enormous shield and staff he was holding.

"Those... What do they...?" Hiori trailed off, once again meeting the serious gaze of Ukitake.

"We're going to save Rukia... By destroying the Soukyoku."

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><p><strong>I am so sorry it took me so long to update! I had originally intended to update yesterday, but our internet got cut off... And I ended up feeling really bad about that cliff hanger I left you all with!<strong>

**BlueFox of the Moon: Actually, I would love love love to hear about your OC. As of now, I have the purpose of said OC all figured out, but I have no name, no appearance, and no character traits whatsoever. I'm hoping that she is a human OC? Because that's really what I need. But so long as you don't mind me using her, I'd love to hear about them!**

**animelover/Raven: Actually, I'm a girl, not a sir! ;) Gender confusion aside, though, your comment made me laugh a lotttt. Haha, sorry about the cliff hanger, but I just couldn't resist! And trust me, I've got pretty much this whole plot worked out from here onwards, and Hiori's gonna go through hell before it's all over. Thanks for the review!**

**Anyways, in this chapter, Hiori learns the truth about Amaterasu: He doesn't belong to her! He is what is left over of Hollow Hiori's powers and, therefor, still belongs to Hollow so long as his powers remain the same. Hiori can already see changes taking place in him, but those changes all depend on whether or not she keeps using his ice powers and his name, Amaterasu, or creates an entirely different Zanpakuto all of her own.**

**Also, she is beginning to grow suspicious of her past self. As Renji hinted, she wasn't always the cold, loose woman that people in Soul Society remember her as. Byakuya seems to know the truth (or at least some of it), and Hiori is beginning to realize that perhaps there is something more to her old personality besides her just being a total heartless bitch.**

**Thanks so much for the reads/favorites/alerts/ and ESPECIALLY the reviews!**

**Click the review button... You know you really want to.**


	29. Part 2: Broken Trust and Empty Dialogue

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><p><em>"No pain... No sadness... No regrets. There is nothing for my heart to linger in this world."<em>

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><p>First, sadness... Overwhelming, excruciating, inescapable sadness. Aside from adrenaline coursing through her as she sprinted alongside Ukitake. They ran together so closely that occasionally their hair would tangle together, but only for a moment. The feeling was oddly comforting, but it didn't help Hiori shake her feelings of despair. She was well aware that if she were to hold Amaterasu at that moment, the melodic hum of the blade would be enough to alert everyone to the fact that inside, she felt like she was dying.<p>

Next, coupled to her sadness, she could feel Rukia's. She didn't know how, and she didn't know why. Perhaps Rukia thought that she had made peace with her passing... But Hiori knew it wasn't true. Coupled with her despair, Hiori could feel Rukia crying out to be saved, even if she told others that she was alright with it. Guilt, regret, sadness, she felt all of these... And denial. All of these feelings came crashing down on her more and more with each step that she took, and no matter what she did, she couldn't escape it.

Then, heat. Overpowering, fiery heat. She could even hear the cries of the unsealed Soukyoku, and the farther she ran, the louder they became. But she felt no rage; No anger, no hate. She felt none of the things that she had expected to feel from the fiery executioner. It was blank, it was clean... It was nothing but fire and death.

"Making space for a second attack?" Hiori could hear Ichigo's voice now as her feet touched the dirt of Soukyoku hill. "Good. Come." Hiori blocked out Rukia's furious cries of defiance as Ukitake stopped and turned to her, setting down the shield and staff roughly in the dirt.

"Brace yourself, Hiori-san." Ukitake murmured, and the next second, all Hiori could do was watch as the Soukyoku came to a screeching halt only inches in front of Ichigo's Zanpakuto. Ichigo and Rukia's eyes widened in surprise, their heads snapping down in Hiori and Ukitake's direction. The other Shinigami watching the execution also turned their attentions towards them, a young gray haired woman gasping in surprise.

"C-Captain Ukitake? And Kiyone?" she murmured, and then her eyes fell on Hiori. "And a Ryoka?" The next second, none other than Shunsui Kyouraku made his appearance. He and his Lieutenant came to a halt beside Ukitake, a goofy grin stretching Shunsui's features as he peered at them from under the brim of his Sakat.

"Hey there, handsome. You like to make people wait for you, don't ya?" Despite having nearly been killed by him a day ago, Hiori felt a small smile tug at her lips. "And lookie here- Hitsu-chan, it's good to see you've healed!" Hiori rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you've come around to our side. It's about time," Hiori replied, earning herself a soft laugh from the brown haired man.

"C-Captain Kyouraku!" the gray haired woman cried again, but none of them seemed to be paying her any mind. Ukitake simply smiled, meeting Shunsui's eyes.

"Sorry, the seal took longer than expected." he said, and as he spoke he crouched low behind the shield. "But we can still do just fine!"

"Stop them!" a young woman with short, dark hair yelled, her Lieutenant stuttering in response. "They're going to destroy Soukyoku!" Hiori's eyes wandered from the shield, to Shunsui, to the fiery bird in front of Ichigo- How could a simple shield destroy such a powerful being?

"Back away Hiori-san!" Ukitake called, but a second later Hiori was pushed into Ukitake's Lieutenant as a sudden burst of energy from both Shunsui and Ukitake was sent upwards, meeting the fiery bird for a split second- And then it burst. The millions of tiny flames scattered around them like angry butterflies, glowing brightly in the afternoon sun. If it hadn't been such a morbid occasion, Hiori might have actually thought it to be beautiful.

"Ukitake, what are we-"

"Now we watch..." he murmured, backing away from the shield. He stood beside her, and she could feel his labored breathing as they each stared skyward. Red and white, side by side. Even as she watched Ichigo raise his sword to destroy the rack that held Rukia suspended in midair, all her mind was focussed on was the strange feeling of family that she felt when she was near the white haired man. Even as the rack glowed blue and Soukyoku Hill shook with the immense release of raw power, she felt an odd feeling of calm sweep over her.

For a moment, all was silent. Soul Society Shinigami, Traitors and Ryoka. All of them stared upwards, watching in blatant shock and awe as the orange haired boy who, only month ago, wasn't even what anyone in Soul Society would consider to be a full fledged Shinigami. He was weak, and working off of borrowed power. And now, as Hiori watched, she knew that now he was even more powerful than she could ever hope to be. A sudden cry of pain broke through the tense silence, and all attention was directed towards the source of the noise.

"Abarai!" Hiori called, watching as several unseated Shinigami fell around his feet. His eyes met hers, but were then directed up to where Ichigo stood, Rukia held precariously underneath his arm.

"Rukia!" he yelled, and Rukia's face broke into a smile. A smile that Hiori suddenly found that she had been missing these past weeks,

"Renji, you're alive!" Rukia called back, beaming down at him from underneath Ichigo's arm. "I'm so glad!"

"Renji!" Ichigo yelled gruffly, and Hiori arched an eyebrow as Ichigo lifted Rukia above his head.

"H-hey Ichigo, what're you-"

"Wait a minute, you've gotta be-"

"Ichigo, don't be stupid!" Hiori called, but Ichigo had already made up his mind. With an enormous grin on his face, Ichigo tossed the helpless Kuchiki forwards and towards Renji's outstretched arms.

"CATCH!"

"ICHIGO YOU DUMBASS!" Renji and Hiori yelled in unison, their faces falling as Rukia's horrified face closed in on Renji. Luckily for Rukia, she at least managed to fall into Renji's arms; Just not without being sent flying several yards backwards from the force of the throw. They lay on the ground for a moment, getting their bearings, before they leapt up once more.

"Ichigo, you idiot!"

"She could have died you idiot!"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Hiori couldn't help but laugh at the brief comic relief offered up by the pair of old friends. Ichigo, however, was all business, and immediately began instructing Renji on what to do next.

"Don't just stand there, get her out of here! Don't let her go even if you die!" A second later, Renji had disappeared from Soukyoku Hill.

"What are you doing?" It was the same dark haired woman who had known that Ukitake was going to destroy Soukyoku. "Go after them- That means all of you Lieutenants!" They did as they were told, but they stopped in their tracks as Ichigo suddenly appeared in front of them. It all happened almost too fast for Hiori's eyes to follow- One minute, the Lieutenants were releasing their Zanpakutos, and the next, they were lying on the ground.

"Nee-san!" Ukitake's Lieutenant, Kiyone, went sprinting forwards towards the gray haired Lieutenant, who was lying on the ground near where Ichigo and Byakuya were now exchanging blows.

"Kiyone, don't!" called the second Lieutenant, but it was too late, and he was swept off of his feet by an unseen force, too quick for the eyes to follow. Ukitake, however, seemed to follow it just fine. He whirled around in a flash of pure white, his face wild as the short, dark haired girl from before closed in on his unsuspecting Lieutenant.

"Suì-Fēng, wait!" Hiori made to follow Ukitake, but she, Shunsui and Ukitake were stopped before they could even get started. In front of them stood the most ancient man that Hiori had ever seen. His old face was weathered from many years of life and of battle. A long beard reached to his hips, and multiple scars marred his features.

"Don't move." he said. His voice was slow, commanding and forceful. Level, but enraged. Ukitake's green eyes widened, but Hiori didn't need to assess his facial expressions to know that they were in deep shit.

"Genryuusai-dono," The old man interrupted, however, before Ukitake could continue.

"The man who ran off with the criminal is a Lieutenant. He can easily be caught and slain, that matter can wait." he explained, his back turned away from the fight between Byakuya and Ichigo. Hiori was mesmerized, entranced by the amazing spiritual pressure radiating off of the old man. "However, I cannot forgive you two for what you have done..." Hiori was now aware of just what she had gotten in the middle of- A fight between the leader of the Shinigami, and the two Captains who had betrayed him. And she was caught in the crossfire.

"You are Captains, yet you did the unthinkable." he murmured, though his voice was still biting and angry. "You must know quite well yourselves the severity of the crime you have just committed."

"I see!" Hiori jumped, the mood suddenly swinging from dark and frightening to light and airy. "It can't be helped then! I guess we better get the heck out of here! Ukitake, grab Hitsu-chan!"

"Hey, wait-!" Hiori's breath was swept away from her as a strong arm gripped her stomach, pulling her off of her feet and off of Soukyoku hill in one swift motion. Her gray eyes were wide as they fell off of the mountainous place, and Hiori's gaze was met with the hard stare of the old man as they dropped from the cliff.

"Wait, Kyouraku!" Ukitake called, and Hiori suddenly realized that it was Shunsui who was dragging them both away from the battlefield. "My people are still up there!"

"Calm down, there!" Shunsui replied jovially as they took off through the air. "If you stay there and fight Old Man Yama... We will all die." Hiori's eyes widened. Why had they taken her, too? She couldn't fight- She couldn't even hold her Zanpakuto without risking their lives and her sanity. And now she was being dragged into a battle with the man that all Shinigamis bowed down to?

She must just have the worst luck of anybody living, dead or otherwise.

"Those two will be fine... There is one more person back there, don't you sense it?"

"... It's Yoruichi." Hiori murmured, and Ukitake smiled serenely.

"Yes. I can feel it."

And then, they halted. They stopped altogether, and Hiori felt the pads of her feet touch the ground once more. She felt strangely light, but she knew that this inner peace was only temporary. Soon, all of the sadness she had left behind at Soukyoku Hill would catch up with her. Soon, the old man would catch up with him. Soon, she would be a powerless girl stuck in the middle of a fight that even Ukitake doubted he could win.

Soon... Would she die?

In front of her, she could see Yamamoto stepping closer, closer and closer. There was no turning back, no looking the other way, but at the same time, there wasn't anything that she could do. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Shunsui's Lieutenant, her face a mask of seriousness to guard her fearful interior. They had two Captains, a Lieutenant, and a girl who had power but couldn't use it. Hiori knew their chances of winning against someone like this were slim. A sudden wave of enormous power swept over them- Hiori could feel her bones creak, and her lungs protest. The girl behind them, however, seemed to be feeling this tenfold, and collapsed to the ground.

"Leave." he growled, pointing his staff at the brown haired woman behind them. "A child like you... I have no patience to teach you how to breathe." Shunsui was beside of her in a flash, his hand placed on her head as if comforting a cowering child.

"It's alright, Nanao-chan..." he murmured softly, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry that I brought you here... Go..." And then the woman and Shunsui were gone, and the only thing of her remaining behind was the lingering doubt that she had left with Hiori. All she had done was make eye contact with Yamamoto... And she had collapsed in fear and weakness.

"Nice Shunpo, Kyouraku, it seems that you are able to go a long distance with one leap, now."

"Thank you," Shunsui said, bowing his head as he returned.

"But this is surprising... I had hoped to get rid of this Ryoka as well." he said quietly, eyeing the red haired girl from top to bottom. Shunsui smiled, patting the top of Hiori's head in a similar way to how he had comforted the woman earlier.

"But don't you recognize her?" he asked happily, ruffling her hair fondly. Hiori made a face, glowering at the brown haired man to her right in embarrassment. "It's Hitsu-chan."

"How could I forget?" Yamamoto replied as he took a step closer. "I suppose I should have expected this... After all, all three of you have always had powers more impressive than the rest... Kyouraku and Jushiro... Your complimentary powers together in battle are unrivaled by anyone before or after you..." Hiori could see what looked like reminiscence in the old man's eyes, and he watched the two men beside her with a mixture of fondness and betrayal. "Always training with self-discepline, you two were the first to become Captains... Through the Academy that I founded."

"And you, Hitsugaya Hiori... The older sister to one of Soul Society's child prodigies, and you were considered one yourself." he said, his eyes now only resting on her and her alone. "Alone and distant, always on your own... I was proud of these two as if they were my own sons, and Jushiro loved you like a daughter... And you threw that all away with your laziness, arrogance and ruthlessness... How different you became..."

"I believed that, even if the character is different, it is fine if they took the same paths..." The walking stick that he held in his hand began to swirl with flames, his anger manifested in the licking, biting, angry and orange heat that now surrounded his hands. "How wrong I was!"

"Genryuusai-sensei," Ukitake began, but Yamamoto cut him off before he could begin.

"Do not speak a word," he growled deep within his throat. Without thinking, Hiori reached down and entwined her fingers within Ukitake's. She felt protected, safe, even though everything around her should have made her feel the complete opposite. Ukitake's green eyes met hers for a moment as the energy around them continued to grow, even as the peacefulness within Ukitake's eyes remained. "It is too late for words... Draw your swords!"

In a flurry of motion and metal, three, then four swords were drawn. The peaceful thrum of Amaterasu's war cry filled the air, and Ukitake's eyes fluttered shut for a brief second, letting the calming noise wash over him. Hiori sighed- She'd made her choice. Her hand was on the hilt, and there was no putting it down. She had known what would happen the moment that she didn't fall down with Nanao Ise. The moment that Yamamoto had tested her and she had passed; She had known all along that she would have to fight, too.

And now, it was like rolling dice. Now, it was all left up to chance.

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><p><strong>Soul Society Arc is drawing to a close!<strong>

**Hiori finds herself in quite a predicament now- She can't use her Zanpakuto without risking her Hollow seizing control. But Ukitake and Shunsui seem to have unwittingly dragged her into the middle of a fight with Yamamoto, and she can't use her powers! So either she can run, or she can use her Zanpakuto to fight and risk her Hollow taking hold. Obviously, she chooses to use her Zanpakuto- We'll have to wait and see just how tht affects her!**

**BlueFox of the Moon: If you don't mind me turning her human, it'd be awesome if I could use her! Thanks so much!**

**Thanks for all the reads and reviews and favorites.**

**Review button... Right here... You all should click it. **


	30. Part 2: Drowsy, Bloody, Crazy

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><p><em>"When rusted, I can't cut again. When you lose your grip, I will be torn apart. Yes, it's with that pride that has me resemble a blade."<em>

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><p>"Disintegrate all existence, Ryuujinjyatsuka."<p>

Hiori bit her tongue as an incredible heat washed over her. The angry orange color stung her eyes and burned her nostrils. She could feel the incredible power coursing through the flames as they hit her, burning the small twigs and leaves that littered the ground. Yamamoto's hakama had fallen from his shoulders, exposing his weathered and scarred skin, which was often concealed by clothing. His long beard fluttered in the rough winds generated by the fire, and even though Hiori felt incredibly nervous and possibly more than a little sick to her stomach, she had to wander how his abnormally long white facial hair didn't burst into flame right then and there.

"How long has it been..." Ukitake murmured, and Hiori peered upwards to meets his hard green eyes. "Since I last saw that stance?"

Despite his assured words, Hiori could hear him suffocating with fear. The Reiatsu that was created with just the initial release beat down on Hiori until she felt as if her knees were going to buckle. The heat was so excruciating, she felt as though it was scorching the sky; Everything the blade touched was scorched and turned to ash. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hiori heard a familiar voice... A voice that she knew she would hear had she chosen to fight with Amaterasu.

_"What are you going to do, vessel?"_ Hiori's gaze hardened. So she was calling her 'vessel', now, was she? No longer was she 'Hiori-chan'. To Hollow, she wasn't even a person. _"This Soul Cutter is crowned more powerful than all others. It is the oldest and strongest Zanpakuto of the Fire Element... What are you going to do, vessel? Are you going to let me in? Or... Are you going to die?"_

"Well?" Yamamoto growled, straightening up from his stance and walking slowly towards them. Hiori suddenly had the inescapable feeling of an animal being stalked by some sort of predatory being. "Hurry up, and release your Zanpakutos... Unless you plan on being rendered into ashes without even resisting?" Hiori's breath ceased right then and there- All this fire had to do was touch her, and she would be gone. Her life was hanging on a thread, and she had no way to stop it was out giving up her conscience mind to an evil part of her soul. "However, I wouldn't consider that courageous."

"It can't be helped." Shunsui muttered from Hiori's right side. Here they all were... Ukitake, Kyouraku, Hitsugaya. Three people that had known each other, fought with each other, and now they might die with each other. Hiori grasped her Zanpakuto tighter, and the humming of her sword suddenly sounded more self assured. She was with Ukitake, a man who had once cared for her as if she were his own daughter. She didn't think that she would be okay... But at least she was with him. "Let's go, Hitsu-chan... Ukitake."

"**_The wave is my shield and the thunder is my blade!_**" Ukitake exclaimed, pulling his sword into two separate parts. "**_Sougyo no Kotowari!_**"

"**_The petal storm swirls, and the flower god sings. The dark sky rages, the sky demon smirks._**" Shunsui recited stonily, crossing his double blades in front of his face; A stance Hiori recognized from her fight with him less than three days ago. "**_Katen Kyoukotsu._**" Hiori breathed in, ignoring the searing sensation that came with breathing in hot ash and flame. She had no choice. It was either fight, or disintegrate, and turn to ash.

"**_Thaw... Amaterasu!_**" Her blade grew to match her height, and for the first time Hiori realized that the blade was slightly heavy- Something that a Zanpakuto shouldn't be. She had never noticed it before... But now that her Zanpakuto's true nature had been brought to her attention, it was exceedingly difficult to miss.

"Shunsui and Jushiro... You two haven't changed one bit from before." Yamamoto said thoughtfully, letting his eyes fall on Hiori as he spoke. "But you... The feel of your Reiatsu is quite interesting." She could have asked 'What do you mean', or any number of questions about this statement. But Hiori held her tongue- This was neither the time nor the place to ask such things, and she was sure that such a thing could easily be figured out.

"Thanks." Shunsui muttered, though he didn't really look thankful for the statement.

"Are you... Prepared?"

"Ready and waiting." Ukitake replied serenely as the flames whipped around them. Yamamoto nodded, and a moment later, they were running full speed towards each other. The flames swirled around them, scorching Hiori's throat and prickling her skin. A sudden burst of flame forced Hiori to utilize her Shikai Reiatsu shield, blocking the flame from harming her and her comrades.

"Ukitake, we can't really fight him, can we?" Hiori asked quietly as they waited out the onslaught of flame. Shunsui sighed, shaking his head and answering for the white haired man. "All we can really do is block him..."

"Yes... This is the strongest Zanpakuto in Soul Society." Ukitake said at last, and the flames around them finally dispersed. "All we can do for now is keep the flames from turning us to ash."

The next second, the shield shattered, and Hiori was forced to duck low and roll out of the way of flames. The heat grazed her, and she felt her skin begin to sear. Even where her skin touched the ground, it burned. Everything, everything around her was burning, dying, turning to ash. She wasn't fast enough to avoid the flames forever, a fact which was painfully brought to her attention by a flame licking at her upper arm without her even realizing that it had been close to her at all.

She let out a strangled cry, doubling over and clutching her upper arm with her hand as it burned and seared and charred. She bit her lips, trying her best to keep the strained and painful cries from escaping her mouth. Her eyes closed, and the pain ceased, but a minute later it increased tenfold. It felt as if her insides were freezing and her mind was numb, and the cold was so intense that it felt as though her insides were burning.

_"You let your guard down, vessel."_

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><p>"Where am I?" Hiori choked out, her eyes fluttering open. In front of her stood Amaterasu, his sad blue eyes meeting hers as she struggled against whatever it was binding her.<p>

"I told you, Hiori." he murmured. He reached out to touch her, but stopped. It was as if touching her was now taboo. "I warned you that this would happen."

"I had no choice!" Hiori cried, lunging forwards, only to be pulled back by her bonds. "I was up against Yamamoto! How was I supposed to survive if I didn't use my Zanpakuto?"

"It's not your Zanpakuto."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" she growled angrily, her eyes narrowing to slits as she glared venomously at the boy she had once considered the person closest to her. "Tell me, please, Amaterasu, because I have no idea! You just dropped the bomb on me, and didn't leave me a backup plan!"

"I told you that-"

"You told me I had to get my own power- But could I really do that in a day?"

"You could've tried." he said solemnly, taking two steps backwards, and distancing himself. "I told you this would happen. I told you that-"

"Wait... Where's Hollow? What's happening?"

"She's fighting Yamamoto for you... No, that's not true." Hiori pursed her lips. "She's fighting because she's trying to get this body back. As we speak, that Hollow mask of hers is taking over your face."

"Hollow Mask?" Amaterasu smiled bitterly, crossing his arms and settling down against the wall opposite her, seeming totally at peace as the walls of her inner world shook and cracked. "What are you doing? Let me go! Help me!"

_"Oh, he can't do that, vessel."_ The icy voice of Hollow broke through Hiori's ears, chilling her to the bone and making her freeze where she stood. Amaterasu shivered, and suddenly Hollow was next to him, her spindly white fingers tangling in his dark hair as she stroked the top of his head in a possessive manner. _"He isn't yours, see, he's mine."_

"I know, he told me." Hollow simply smirked, untangling her fingers from Amaterasu's dark tresses before taking a step closer to Hiori. Hiori stared at her unflinchingly, her eyes searching Hollow's. They were just like hers; Not in color, but in shape. But the look in those eyes... It was a look that Hiori never wanted to see in her own eyes. It was a look of apathy and hatred.

_"After I've seen to Yamamoto, I'll get rid of Shunsui and Jushiro... Especially Jushiro." _Hollow gave a small, barking laugh, her pure white skin stretching with a sinister sneer. _"That foolish man. When you first came to Soul Society, you were so lonely... So silent... Jushiro may have actually gotten through to you, if I hadn't shown up."_

"What the hell did you do?"

_"Do? I didn't _do_ anything." _Hollow replied. Hiori shivered, and suddenly Hollow was right in front of her, trailing a single fingertip down the side of her face. _"I merely grew inside you like a cancer, until it was so easy to break you, all I had to do whisper. All I had to do was speak, and you just gave into me. All I had to do was whisper, and you were so lost."_

Despite herself, Hiori felt hot tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Hollow's words cut through her chest like knives, and she felt her breathing falter as Hollow dug her fingernails into her vulnerable flesh. Her lips trembled; She felt anger, she felt pain and she felt sadness. She felt so many feelings welling up inside her that she felt as if she might fall apart. The boy who she had always come to when her feelings threatened to overwhelm her sat feet from her, his blue eyes regarding her with carefully guarded sympathy, but he was doing nothing. What could he do? Hollow was his wielder, and Hiori was the outsider.

_"So. This is where you'll stay. This body will become mine by the end of this fight. And you..."_ She grabbed Hiori's chin roughly, forcing her to look at her directly in the eyes; Her bright, electric blue eyes. _"You will remain here for the rest of my days. I'll be sure to tell Ukitake Jushiro that you said goodbye... Oh, and Kurosaki Ichigo, of course. I could I forget the boy that you lo-"_

An animalistic snarl ripped from Hiori's lips, and suddenly the invisible bonds that had been holding her back broke. The sound was like chiming bells and a rush of wind, and panic, fear and outrage flashed across Hollow's face in a matter of seconds; Before she could react, Hiori was on her. Her fingers wrapped around Hollow's neck, pushing her back and into the wall that Amaterasu was leaning against. A strangled breath escaped Hollow's throat as she writhed beneath Hiori's iron grip.

_"Wh... N-no! You shouldn't... This isn't-"_

"Possible?" Hiori chirped, finishing Hollow's sentence and cocking her head to the side in mock confusion. "Well, then, what's happening right now? It couldn't be that I've overpowered you, could it?" Hollow grimaced in fury, baring her teeth at Hiori in an attempt to intimidate her. Hiori just smirked. "Does that ever really work?"

_"It will when your body is mine and you're caged in this Maze forever, bitch!"_

"Somehow, I don't think I'll let that happen." Hiori said, smiling brightly; The next second, she shoved her fist straight into Hollow's face. The back of her head cracked against the unstable rock behind her, and she let out a loud, warped groan of pain. "See, I plan on keeping this body and my life. I plan of Ukitake staying alive, and I plan to see Ichigo again." she murmured, crouching a little lower and punching Hollow in the gut. Hollow coughed up blood, her eyes wide in pain and confusion. "I don't plan on letting a crazy bitch like you get her hands on my life."

_"I'll always be here, Vessel!" _she retorted, spitting her blood onto Hiori's cheeks. The redhead grimaced, wiping the blood away with her free hand. Everything within her was completely and utterly disgusted. How could something this low, this evil, this impure really be a part of her? _"You can't get rid of me, not like this! I'll never leave!"_

"We'll see." Hiori said bitterly. Slowly, not cautiously, but carefully, she leaned in towards Hollow's ear. She parted her lips, allowing her breath to graze Hollow's neck before she spoke. Her voice was a low and deadly whisper, barely audible to herself. "You say it only took a whisper for me to disappear... I wonder how much whispering you can take, Hollow."

_"YOU BITCH!"_ Hollow screamed, struggling even more against Hiori's grip, which tightened all the more each time she squirmed. Suddenly, she stopped, as if something Hiori could not see had appeared. She glanced around, just to be sure; They were alone.

"Attention Captains, Lieutenants, and Seated Shinigami of Gotei Thirteen," A calm but serious voice broke through Hiori's subconscience. Hollow seemed to also be listening intently, as she had ceased to move altogether. Hiori vaguely wondered if her hold on her neck was too much... Then she decided that she simply no longer cared. "And the Ryoka. This is Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane of the Fourth Division speaking. Can everyone hear me?"

Hiori arched an eyebrow, glancing down at Amaterasu, who shrugged. What could a Lieutenant of Gotei Thirteen want with the Ryoka- With her? Why were they extending a message to them as well? None of it made any sense. They were enemies. The Ryoka were invaders. So why were they...?

"An emergency situation has occurred. This emergency transmission is under the authority of Captain Unohana Retsu of the Fourth Division and myself, Kotetsu Isane." Both Hiori and her Hollow had ceased to move, now, each of them listening intently to the words that were so powerful, they had managed to break all the way through to their precious inner world. "Please listen carefully. Everything I am about to say... It's all true..." A gleeful smirk grew on Hollow's face as the woman's words watched over them.

_"Aizen-sama is calling me, Vessel."_

"Calling? What are you-"

_"I'm going to him. And you're coming with me."_

"No way."

_"You don't have a choice, Vessel." _she whispered, and Hiori felt her hands begin to press against her stomach. Her feet began to slide against the dirt beneath her, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before Hollow began to overpower her yet again. _"This body is already more mine than it is yours. I'm going to Aizen-sama, and so are you."_

"Why do you keep calling him that?" Hiori cried, pushing harder against Hollow's throat. "He's the one who turned our inner world into this mess, he's the one who turned you into a Hollow, he's the one-"

_"He's the one who brought me into existence." _Hiori's words stopped in her throat. He had created the Hiori that Hollow had used to be? What did that mean? How could he have done such a thing? All he had done was turn others into Hollows; What did it mean that the Hiori that Hollow had been before... Was a creation of Aizen Sousuke? _"I have to go if he call-"_

"I'm not going!" Hiori screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if doing so would block out all the uncertainty, all the confusion, all of the sadness. She reached deep within herself, searching for something- Anything. She didn't know what she was looking for. All she knew was that she needed power, or her life as she knew it would end right then and there. She would die, cease to exist, and Hollow would thrive on her demise. She need something... She needed power.

'Right here... Right here, Wielder...'

She could hear it... A voice somewhere in the depths of her soul. It was calling out to her in a way that Amaterasu never had. She could hear it everywhere- All around her, the voice was echoing. Deep inside her, it was as if fire had erupted deep within her soul... Calming fire, that both shielded her from harm, and destroyed all those that threatened. She could feel it in her mind, in her body... In her hands. Hiori opened her eyes... And she found herself staring at a single sword, no larger than her forearms. The hilt was white and aged, like ivory, and the tsuba***** was nowhere to be seen.

_"What do you think you're doing?" _Hollow asked, suddenly realizing that Hiori's hands were no longer on her neck. A sinister sneer now decorated her features, and she took a small step closer to Hiori, placing her hand on her shoulder as if consoling her. _"I understand... You're giving in. No worries... You won't feel a thing."_

"Sorry." Hiori murmured, her gray eyes coming up to meet Hollow's blue ones. "But I'm pretty sure this'll fuckin' hurt." The next second, Hollow let out an ear splitting scream as the tip of Hiori's dagger tore through her skin, cracking ribs and ripping muscles. Blood spattered over her white Hakama, and her breathing now sounded as though her lungs were filled to the brim with water.

_"What... What is this... No, you can't..."_

"Looks like I just did."

Her inner world constricted around her, and then it was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>*Tsuba: usually a round or occasionally squarish guard at the end of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons.<strong>

**So- Hiori decides to use Amaterasu to fight Yamamoto, and with horrible consequences. She is drawn into her Inner world in the middle of the fight by Hollow, who has taken over her body almost entirely because Hiori used Amaterasu again. Here, Hollow mentions that Hiori used to be a pretty normal person, but her personality changed as Hollow grew stronger and, finally, took her over. With the help of Hollow's taunting, however, Hiori finds the strength to fight back and pins down Hollow just before Isane sends out the message of Aizen's betrayal. **

**During this time, Hollow says that Aizen is calling her, and refers to him as 'Aizen-sama' as if he is her master. This confuses Hiori, because she had assumed that Hollow would hate Aizen just like Other Hiori does. Hollow tells her that Aizen is the one who created her- Now, does this meant that Aizen created THE Hollow, or he created the personality that IS Hollow? All will be explained...**

**Also, Hiori finally discovers her own power. Her new Zanpakuto appears to be smaller than her old one, and is only about as long as from her elbow to her fingertips. It has no tsuba, and instead of the standard hilt, it is made from something that looks like ivory. With this, she stabs Hollow and once again take control of her body.**

**BlueFox of the Moon: Well it's super that you're letting me use your OC! All I need to know is her name, her appearance, characters traits, past/family etc. Basically all you've got about her, except for her Zanpakuto. Of course I'll give you credit once I start using her, too, so thank you so much for offering! I'm literally all out of OCs.**

**Thank you all for your reviews and, especially this week, you favorites. Every time I check my email I've got like six more favorites on this story, I swear! So thank you so much for your loyal support!**

**Here. This is the review button. I think you should click it!**


	31. Part 2: End of Memories, End of Hypnosis

...

* * *

><p>"I am merely practicing saying goodbye to you."<p>

* * *

><p><em>Heavy rain beat down on the grassy hills, the emerald green blades bowing as the pellets of water beat down on them. The steady pitter patter created by the falling droplets filled the ears of the single person to be seen for miles- Most people were inside seeking refuge from the merciless rain. Her red hair reached to in between her shoulder blades, the moisture from the rain making it stick to her skin. She wore a white kosode<strong>*<strong> and bright red hakama, identifying her as a student of Shino Academy._

_To the girl, the rain was oddly calming. Perhaps, she pondered, she should be inside with her fellow classmates. But somehow, she didn't feel as if she had established any sort of connection with them, even though she had been attending the school for a little less than four years. Her superiors had told her that, if her skills kept developing at the rate they were going, she would be eligible to graduate at the end of her fourth year. Perhaps that was for the best- She didn't seem to really click with the other students there._

_In truth, she missed Rukongai. She wondered how much her brother had grown since she had left... Probably not a lot, she concluded. He had never shown any signs that he would one day be a tall man, and she highly doubted that that had changed since she had left to become a Shinigami. She hadn't seen him since she had left for Shino Academy. Something within her kept preventing her from going. She wasn't really sure what it was, but something inside her just wouldn't allow her to return until she had become a Shinigami... Or possibly never at all._

_"Is there a reason you're sitting out here in the rain by yourself?" a voice asked. The girl didn't move; She'd heard him coming. If this mystery man had hoped to have some sort of element of surprise on his side, he had another thing coming. She had sensed his Reiatsu a mile away, and what was more, a twig had snapped when he had been about two yards away. It had been a small noise, just barely audible over the relentless pounding of the rain. But she had heard it._

_"Is there a reason why you're out here bothering me?" she retorted icily, not turning her head to look at her new companion. The man grumbled an inaudible something, and the girl's already present frown deepened even more. "You can either speak up or not speak at all. Pick one."_

_"Is this how you usual talk to your superiors?"_

_"Only if the superior is some kind of creep who tries to sneak up on me from behind."_

_"Who says I was sneaking?" The girl scoffed, still not looking back to see who this person was; She was determined not to give him that sort of satisfaction._

_"You tried to conceal your Reiatsu back there," she explained, continuing to stare out over the wide expanse of Rukongai that could be seen from the very top of the hill. If she looked very hard, she thought that she could see her house. All most. "You did a pretty shitty job, though I can't really blame you. That's some very impressive Reiryoku you've got there."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Don't mention it."_

_The two lapsed into silence once again, and the girl's curiosity was slowly beginning to get the better of her. It seemed that this "Superior", whoever he was, was also determined not to give her the satisfaction of seeing who he was. He was determined to have her look first. And, much to the girl's dismay, his plan of waiting it out seemed to be working. She mentally cursed herself for her lack of self control as she peered over her shoulder, finally letting her suspicious gray eyes fall on the mystery man._

_His short and silvery hair was soaked, just like hers was. From where she sat, his eyes looked almost golden, but she was sure that they were simply a lighter shade of brown. His ears were decorated with several gold rings in various places. As her eyes traveled downward, they fell on a single tattoo that was left exposed by his open shihakushou. It read '69', and she restrained herself from raising her eyebrows up as high as they could go; Although she was now very curious about the strange tattoo, she was smart enough to know not to ask too many questions._

_His tattoo reminded her strangely of her own, even though hers had yet to be finished. At present, the black ink formed only a single and very thick black line that ran from just below the middle of her ribcage, and all the way around her side to her spine. It was an awfully painful process, but completely necessary for achieving Bankai- That was what Amaterasu had told her, anyways._

_"You're a student..." the man murmured, and the girl suddenly realized that he, too, had been eyeing her up with considerable interest. She pursed her lips, but nodded grudgingly. Judging from his white coat, he was obviously a Captain from Gotei Thirteen. This wasn't her first time running into one- How could you live so close to the Seireitei and not have come across one?_

_"I am." she replied, turning her body all the way around to face him. Her legs were criss crossed in front of her, and she placed her hands on her knees in a formal sort of way. She felt a drop of water run down the bridge of her nose, but she forced herself not to move. "And you are a Captain."_

_"I am." he said, but whether he was mocking her or not, the girl couldn't decide. "What's your name?"_

_"What's yours?" she asked swiftly, and she watched as the corners of his lips twitched out of their usual hard line, suggesting a smile of some sort._

_"I think I asked you first."_

_"I think you snuck up on me first."_

_"I though you knew I was there?" he retorted, and the girl's frown deepened. This guy seemed to be one step ahead of her evasive conversation tactics... Damn him._

_"Hitsugaya Hiori, fourth year student." she answered finally, after appraising the man in front of her for several more minutes._

_"Muguruma Kensei, Ninth Division Captain." he said. Once again, the two fell into silence, each studying the other carefully with their eyes. Neither seemed inclined to move any closer, but neither seemed to want to move away, either. Hiori knew that she could have just gotten up and left him standing there looking like an idiot, but she decided against it. "So, Hiori... Want to tell me what you're doing out here in the rain?"_

* * *

><p>"Aizen..." Ukitake wasn't the only one glowering. From what he could see, every Captain was no present on Soukyoku Hill- Of course, three of those Captains were actually traitors, so they weren't glaring. But everybody else certainly was. The atmosphere was heavy with a sense of anger and betrayal, though one could clearly sense an air of superiority radiating off of Aizen Sousuke. Not that he should be feeling anything less. He had tricked them all.<p>

"It's over," Yoruichi murmured from her place in front of Aizen, and Suì-Fēng was shooting an icy glare in the brown haired man's direction. "Aizen, it's over." Aizen, on the other hand, didn't seem to think that the situation was nearly as dire as it felt to the rest of them. Instead, he laughed. It was a cold, calculating laugh. He was looking down on it- Anyone with ears could hear it. Ukitake pursed his lips, and tightened his arms around the thin body held in them.

Hiori's face was pressed flush against Ukitake's chest, her red hair folding and looping between her cheek and his chest. He would have been worried that he was gripping her too tightly, but he refused to take any chances; Especially around the likes of Aizen Sousuke. She stirred slightly, grinding her teeth unconsciously and murmuring something that he didn't quite catch.

"What?" Yoruichi spat, gripping his wrists even tighter. "What's so funny, Aizen?"

"Yeah... Sorry, but... It's time." Yoruichi glanced up, and her eyes widened, and a second later she leapt out of the way.

"Suì-Fēng, move!" she cried, and the wasp-like girl had only a moment to react. An enormous beam of light shot down from the sky, encasing Aizen and his associates.

"Impossible..." Ukitake gasped, clutching Hiori still closer.

"Menos Grande!" Suì-Fēng gasped as she stared up at the sky. It looked as though it were ripping apart, the clouds and pure sky blue cracking and breaking like glass, or like concrete. The white mask of the Menos Grande peered through the crack in the sky, its long nose looking dangerously like a weapon from where it was perched, above them all.

"Gillian!" Omaeda cried, watching as several other Menos Grandes crawled through the sky. "Just how many of them are there?" Suddenly, Aizen turned to stare at Ukitake, who was one of the farthest away from him. A fourth Negation shot down, barely missing Ukitake, who deftly avoided the bright yellow light, all the while holding Hiori as close to him as possible.

"Oh?" Aizen murmured, his eyes narrowing as he began to rise up towards the Hollows. "You're protecting her?"

"What is it you want with her?" Ukitake muttered darkly, his green eyes glittering with suspicion and anger. Aizen merely smiled serenely, taking off his glasses and crushing them between his fingers.

"That's my little experiment you're holding, Ukitake." he replied eerily, and Ukitake knitted his eyebrows together. He glanced back down at the girl in his arms as she stirred yet again, looking as if she were in pain. "I had been so sure it had failed... But I heard her calling. Not to worry, though, I'll come for her when you aren't around."

"Aizen!" Ukitake growled warningly, backing even farther away as the Negation receded.

"TOUSEN!" Sajin cried, his wolfish features contorting with rage and confusion and interrupting the conversation between Ukitake and Aizen. "Get back down here Tousen! WHERE IS YOUR JUSTICE NOW?"

* * *

><p>A warm afternoon breeze shifted Hiori's carmine locks. Her body lay still, her arms by her side as her chest continued to rise and fall with the steady rhythm of her breathing. She had been lost in her memories... Memories of her past self, her old self, and her current self. Where her new self would come in, she wasn't so sure. She didn't even think that she was awake, simply dreaming and floating in some sort of weird suspended animation. Perhaps she was dead... She didn't know.<p>

"WHAT?" A sudden exclamation broke through her peaceful drifting, and suddenly, she found herself back down where she belonged. Her eyes opened; She blinked several times to rid herself of the blurriness often brought on by long periods of sleep. To her right was an open window, and through it she could see the bright green leaves of a tree. She smiled serenely, taking in this brief moment of perfect peace and clarity to store away for later. "Shut up!" Hiori frowned.

So much for clarity.

She groaned, pushing herself upwards and into sitting position. She ached all over, but from what she could tell, she didn't have many injuries. Not physical, at least. On her right shoulder, she could still see the charred skin that remained from Yamamoto's attack. She smiled, touching her fingertips to the ruined flesh. It had been treated but she knew that it would definitely leave a horrible scar.

Hiori touched her feet to the wood floors, flinching slightly as they made contact with the cold surface. Looking down, she realized that she was wearing a white robe similar to the one the Rukia had worn when she had been imprisoned. For a moment she panicked, fearing the worst. Maybe they had decided to take her into custody? But her panic subsided immediately as her eyes fell on her tattered and burned hakama. Of course, her Shinigami uniform was usually tattered, but now it looked beyond repair.

"Super, now I need new clothes."

At last she managed to stand straight up, allowing the pads of her feet to make complete contact with the floor. Her breath shook with each step she took; She didn't know why she was so nervous. She was uncertain. How long had she been out, and what had happened during that time? All she could do was take a look around, and hope to find something out that way.

After searching through numerous hallways and rooms and finding no one she recognized, she decided to follow the sea of masculine cheers coming from the room at the end of the next hallway. Sure enough, when she got there, a familiar orange head met her eyes in a sea of black Shinigami uniforms.

"I'll go up next." he said, confidence radiating from his voice, and Hiori could already tell that he was making no attempt to conceal it. The redhead couldn't help but smile, and she leaned against the door frame to watch her favorite carrot top engage in a verbal battle with the bald man in front of him.

"Oh, you're very gutsy, aren't you Ichigo?" he said, smirking widely at Ichigo, who arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this? I won't go easy on you because of your recent convalescence you know." Hiori rolled her eyes; Hadn't Ichigo beaten this guy already? She was fairly sure that he had, though she couldn't be sure. Her eyebrow twitched at this- The list of things of which she "couldn't be sure" was growing steadily longer, a fact which irked her a great deal.

"It's not like you were in any better shape." Ichigo barked. "And it's not convalescence, I only had little injuries."

"Same thing! You can say convalescence for recovering from injuries, too!"

"No, you can't." Ichigo deadpanned, earning a hard glare from Ikkaku.

"Then what do you say for recovering from injuries?"

"Um... I have no idea."

"See, you don't know anything! Go back to your writing class and start over you dumbass!"

"What? You've got nothing between your ears!" Ikkaku glowered, and his eyes finally fell on Hiori, who had been casually enjoying the show from a distance.

"Fine! But I won't go easy on you-"

"Stop talking about convalescence!"

"I was gonna say, 'I'm not gonna go easy on you because your _girlfriend_ is watching!" Ichigo paused, turning all the way around to stare Hiori dead in the eyes. She smirked, waving lazily and pushing away from the door frame.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Ichigo chuckled, tapping his wooden sword on his shoulder. Ikkaku looked pretty pissed at being ignored, but did nothing to stop their conversation. Hiori merely rolled her eyes again.

"That's original."

"I don't see you coming up with anything better."

"Now, is that any way to speak to your _girlfriend?_" Hiori teased, sticking out her tongue and flipping him off before he could retort. Even from far away, Hiori could see red rush to his cheeks before he could stop it. Luckily for him, a much greater distraction appeared by her side a moment later.

"Yo." a gravely voice said from her side, and she glanced upwards as Ikkaku and several others yelled a jovial 'Morning Captain!'. A tall man, broad shoulders and spiky hair. Demonic eyes fell on hers, and a crooked smile stretched across his face. "Hey there sleeping beauty." Hiori's eyebrow twitched.

"Why the hell does everybody keep saying that to me?" Hiori hissed. She didn't even know who this man was, but from the way he was staring at her, she could be sure that he at least knew who _she_ was. He chuckled darkly, and Hiori couldn't help but jump as a pink haired girl popped up from behind his shoulders. She didn't even look like a real girl- More like a miniature version of one. She was so small it was almost excessive; Hiori had to hold back a laugh.

"'Cause you've been asleep for a week."

"_A week?_" she gasped, making a face to allow her confusion to be displayed. The man chuckled again, and his eyes hadn't left her the entire time.

"Once you're back to your full strength, we'll fight." he said. Hiori made a face. It wasn't a question, or a suggestion. It was as if he thought that it was a statement of fact. She snorted, but her sassiness was seriously wounded when her long red hair fell in her face, and she was forced to girlishly tuck it behind her ears.

"As if I'd do that."

"You'll come round." the man muttered, chuckling yet again before turning back towards the crowd. "But for now... Ichigo, you're looking good. Wounds all healed?" Ichigo nodded and gave him the thumbs up. Somehow, Hiori didn't think that affirming the man's questions was the best plan of action.

"Yeah, thanks to you, I'm all-" Ichigo stopped speaking, and Hiori slowly began to inch away from the man.

"Buh bye Kurosaki-kun!" Hiori called, a flirtatious edge obviously present in her voice. "Do your best! Go for it! Don't die!"

"H-hey Hiori! Wait, I have to-"

But Hiori had already taken off down the corridors, humming contentedly to herself as a loud yell escaped the room she had just left. Her gray eyes searched the new hallway for any signs of familiarity.

"Gin! You pig head, you pig head!" someone cried, and the next second Hiori heard a resounding smashing noise, like porcelain shattering. Peering around the closest doorway, her eyes fell on two very drunk Shinigami- A man and a very large breasted woman. Immediately, she disliked the woman. The way she was slopping alcohol down herself was just too demeaning for her to handle. Briefly, she contemplated the fact that all the women that she hated in life seemed to have abnormally large breasts. She brushed the thought aside when she felt something bump into her.

"Nee-sama?" a familiar voice murmured, and Hiori glanced downwards. Familiar white hair filled her vision, which was then replaced by a pair of dazzling blue eyes and a serious face. The large breasted woman gasped, sloshing more alcohol down herself as the man next to her complained about being sick.

"Nee-sama? You aren't Captain Hitsugaya's sister!" Hiori made a face as her brother turned to face the woman, now standing directly by her side. It felt nice, just standing next to him. She knew nothing about him, yet she felt so close.

"Uh... Pretty sure I am, actually."

"Yo... You don't look like 'em!"

"Sorry?" Hiori muttered, looking down at her brother, who rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head, indicating that she should just drop it. He turned to go, and Hiori continued to ignore the drunken exclamations of the woman as she turned and followed her brother back down the hallway. At last he stopped, leaning against the door way as she had when she found Ichigo. Her eyes followed his, and they fell on the only girl in the room. Her dark hair was done up in a bun, and she instantly recognized her as the girl who had been with him when they had been reunited.

"... Toshiro... This girl is-"

"Yeah." he murmured, his eyes never leaving the girl on the bed. "I'm sorry, Nee-sama, but..." Hiori nodded, running her fingers over her brother's hair as she left him in the company of the girl.

* * *

><p>The next hall Hiori came to was completely silent. She paused, gazing down the length of the hall before deciding to walk down it. She took three steps, and then she paused. If she strained her ears just enough, and then ceased to breathe, soft words were barely audible. The voice was solemn and deep, clearly a man's voice. It sounded... Lonely. Sad. But relieved. Maybe she was imagining things- After all, she could barely hear the words.<p>

"Hitsugaya Hiori." The voice which she had been listening to had risen in volume, and she was now painfully aware of the fact that her newly regained Reiatsu was overflowing from her in waves. She grimaced; She'd been caught.

Sucking up her shame at both her lack of stealth and for being caught, Hiori rounded the corner and made her way into the room she had, moments prior, been eavesdropping on. Within she was met with two familiar faces. The first was surrounded sleek, dark hair, cold gray eyes so similar to her own regarding her with a feeling that she didn't recognize. He was dressed in the same white robes that she was, indicating that he was still injured. Her eyes moved a little farther to her right, where she met the dark brown eyes of Abarai Renji.

"It is good to see that you are awake." Byakuya said stiffly, though he wasn't acting nearly as cold to her as usual. Renji gave her a curt nod, apparently not really having anything to say at the present time. "You have been asleep for almost a week."

"Yeah, the big guy with spiky hair told me."

"Captain Zaraki Kenpachi." Byakuya informed her. Hiori shrugged, not really interested in the big-hulking-scary-demon-guy's name. Renji met her eyes again and pointed at the extra chair that was stuck in the opposite corner of the room. Hiori pursed her lips as she contemplated her situation; Kuchiki Byakuya. Abarai Renji. Her. It wasn't a good mix, but she decided it would be better to brave it now rather than later.

"How are you?" Hiori murmured and she sat down in the chair after dragging it to the side of Byakuya's bed. Renji was regarding the situation with blatant confusion from the other side of the room, though Hiori didn't really notice. All she was looking at was Byakuya. He looked away, instead directing his attentions towards the severe burn on Hiori's arm.

"A burn?"

"It's from Yamamoto," Hiori explained, and Byakuya raised his eyes, surprise painting his usually stoic features. "But that wasn't my question. I asked how you were."

"Never better." Byakuya said, his voice dripping in uncharacteristic sarcasm. Hiori's lips twitched slightly, but she held herself back. Something told her that Byakuya didn't really enjoy being laughed at. "Things with Rukia have been... Stressed... As of late." he murmured. He seemed uneasy, refusing to meet her in the eyes, but for some reason he continued speaking. "Ever since..."

"You told her about Hisana?"

"So you do remember?" Hiori's lips twitched again, and she lowered her eyes.

"I've been asleep for a week," she answered. Byakuya met her eyes, but only for a second. "I've been... Reliving things."

"I see..." The two lapsed into silence, and she heard Renji shift uncomfortably behind her. The more she gazed down at Byakuya, the more she felt her throat tighten. Her eyes stung, and she mentally slapped herself; Why was it she had been crying so much the last few days? It was getting beyond ridiculous. "What-"

"Byakuya, I'm sorry." she whispered, her voice breaking in the middle of her words. "So, so sorry." Byakuya's eyes showed confusion, but his expression did not change. "I really... I really am sorry."

"Why, exactly, are you sorry?" he murmured, turning away to gaze out of the nearby window. Hiori bit her lip, ignoring the surprised silence that her turning on the water works had given Renji.

"... For throwing away the life that you had worked so hard for." she choked out. Byakuya froze, stoic gray eyes widening just barely, but still enough for Hiori to notice. "Byakuya, I really am sorry..."

"I turned out fine, but thank you." he muttered, his tone still stiff, but wavering.

"But I-" Byakuya's fingers brushed against hers, but to Hiori's increasing surprise, they remained on hers.

"Fine." He was still looking in the opposite direction, but his hand was calm and still. He seemed entirely sure of himself. "It's fine." Hiori's breath caught in her throat, her gray eyes watching Byakuya carefully, but he refused to look at her. The bandages around his neck rose and fell with his still steady breathing, and she parted her lips to speak again.

"RENJI!" Hiori jumped, and even Byakuya seemed surprised, swiftly removing his hand from Hiori's. Ichigo gave them a look, staring at Hiori curiously before speaking again. "Wait, were you guys holding hands just now?"

"Hell no!"

"Absolutely not."

"Hey, be quiet Ichigo!" Renji growled, rushing towards the window and nearly bashing heads with the brash orange haired boy, who instantly bristled from Renji's words.

"Oh?" he grumbled, making one of the weirdest faces that Hiori had ever seen. She and Byakuya exchanged wary glances, each feeling quite out of place in this strange display of immature masculinity.

"What do you want? They were in the middle of saying something nice!" he explained, pointing rather rudely in the direction of Byakuya and Hiori, who were looking increasingly more annoyed by the second.

"O... Oh..." Ichigo muttered uncertainly, casting a glance in Hiori's direction before continuing. "I was just wondering if you knew where Rukia was?"

"Wait, did something happen?"

"Never mind, if you don't know." Ichigo murmured, backing out of the window he had busted through.

"Kurosaki-kun, it's dangerous to climb up to the third story window, you know!" A familiar, and extremely whiny, girly voice made its way from the window, and Hiori's eyes instantly shot to Ichigo's side, where Orihime was now visible.

"What the?" Ichigo exclaimed, looking at Orihime in wild confusion.

"What about you?" Hiori asked, eyeing Orihime with undisguised dislike. "How the hell did _you_ get up here, anyways?"

"Well, sorry Byakuya, Hiori, Renji." Ichigo muttered, waving a quick goodbye. "Actually, Hiori, you should hurry up and get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

"Sorry to bother you Renji-kun, Byakuya-san!" Orihime chirped, earning herself the biggest glare that Hiori could muster before the pair disappeared. Hiori continued to glare out of the window, as did Renji, who was muttering something to himself. Her eyes once again found Byakuya, who was now tapping his chin in a stereotypical thoughtful way. She arched an eyebrow.

"What's wrong Byakuya?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

"... Is that man going to continue to call me by my first name from now on?" Hiori scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulders as she stood up once more, heading towards the doorway at the opposite end of the room.

"It's not him you should be pissed about, it's the girl with the big boobs."

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><p>Hiori had to hand it to them- Their gate looked a hell of a lot better than Urahara's home made one. It glowed a brilliant white, and the closer she got, the more her eyes began to sting. Up ahead, she could see Chad, Ishida, Orihime and Ichigo. Much to her surprise, Ukitake was also there. His long white hair blew in the wind generated by the energy from the gates.<p>

With her hakama now completely ruined, Hiori had resorted to borrowing clothes. She was now wearing a pure white kimono, which was similar to the one Rukia was wearing in cut, she now realized. Down the left side the kimono bore three thick reach stripes, which ran down the whole length of the kimono, from shoulder to hem. Her Zanpakuto, which had drastically changed during her time spent unconscious, was held under the deep red sash holding her kimono closed. The ivory hilt gleamed bright in the afternoon sun, and as she touched it, she couldn't help but miss the usual hum that she had come to expect from Amaterasu.

"Hiori-chan!" Orihime called, waving jubilantly from her place beside of Chad. Hiori simply glowered. Oh, how she disliked her. Ukitake's head swiveled around to look her in the eyes, and she suddenly found him motioning for her. She picked her pace up to a steady jog, coming to a halt inches from Ukitake, who was now smiling down at her fondly.

"It's good to see you awake." he said happily, ruffling her hair as a father would do to his child. Hiori grimaced, but made no move to stop him. The others were watching her with curiosity, especially Ichigo.

"Yeah, I heard I was asleep for a week."

"Give or take a few hours," Ukitake murmured, his smile widening a little more. A moment later, however, both his tone and his expression became serious. "Hiori-san, you need to be careful." Hiori narrowed her eyes, her breath hitching in her throat. She hadn't seen him look this serious since their fight against Yamamoto.

"Careful?" she whispered, keeping her voice low so as not to let the others hear her. She could already see Orihime leaning in out of the corner of her eyes. "Of what?"

"Aizen." Ukitake answered swiftly. "And that inner Hollow of yours." Hiori bit her lips, looking down at the ground. Anywhere but Ukitake's eyes.

"I'm sorr-" He hushed her with a single look, his eyes wondering somewhere to her left, and his stern look was once again replaced with a smile.

"Not now." he said, patting Hiori's shoulder. "Someone's here to see you off." Hiori raised her eyebrows in surprise, whipping her head around to face the people that Ukitake was now watching. Behind her stood two familiar people- One was her brother, and the other was the dark haired man that she had fought with when she had first returned to Soul Society. The all too familiar 69 tattoo stood out boldly against the skin of his cheek.

"Leaving already, Nee-sama?" Toshiro murmured, taking a step forwards. Hiori smiled sadly, walking towards him and meeting him halfway. Hisagi kept behind Toshiro, nodding to Hiori in a friendly way, but saying nothing.

"Yeah, I am."

"Will you be coming back?" he asked, keeping his voice calm and level. Hisagi scoffed, and Hiori frowned.

"Not likely." he said, though Hiori could tell from his expression that he was only teasing her. Mostly.

"Maybe." she replied, placing her hand on Toshiro's shoulder for a mere second before backing away, going closer to the gates. "There's some stuff I've got to figure out... But I'll be back."

"That's what you said last time." Toshiro snapped, though his voice still held the same tone that it usually did. Hiori's eyed softened, but she continued to back away, getting closer and closer to the gates.

"It'll be different." she assured him, though the look on his face was still skeptical. "Trust me."

"... I do." Hiori turned, her eyes meeting Ichigo's for a brief moment before they all turned towards the gate.

"Ichigo..." Rukia called after him, and both Ichigo and Hiori turned around, realizing now that they were being watched by almost all of the Shinigami they had met during their time in Soul Society. "Thank you!" They turned around once more, and Hiori felt her hand brush against Ichigo's for a mere second, and then she vanished into the blinding light.

Then they were gone.

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><p><strong>End of the Soul Society Arc! I am so excited to start the Arrancar Arc, you have NO idea. I think I'll be doing a short Omake Chapter next to go over all of the things revealed about Hiori in these last 30 or so chapters, and putting a humorous twist on them.<strong>

**In this chapter, Hiori begins remembering things, starting with the memory of the first time that she met Kensei. She also seems to remember some sort of encounter with Byakuya about her acceptance of the Lieutenant's position in his grandfather's Division, which triggered her heartfelt apology to him later.**

**Thanks for the reviews, and thanks to BlueFox of the Moon/Kira for supplying me with an OC. Expect to see her a few times in the Arrancar Arc, and I'm thinking she'll practically be a main character in the Fullbring Arc. So thank you so much Kira!**

**Enjoy and review, please!**

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><p><em><strong>*Kosode: standard shirt. Worn in "Shino Academy" of Soul Society.<strong>_


	32. OMAKE EXTRA: Explanation & Summary

...

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><p><strong>BINDA BLINDA OMAKE EXTRA<strong>

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><p>"Ah, hello, readers!" Urahara called jovially, waving his hat above him in the air to nobody in particular. The woman standing next to him, a tall girl with long and wavy brown hair, gave him the stink eye momentarily before reverting to her previous blank facial expression. "First thing's first- Allow me to introduce Shiuta-san!"<p>

"You will refer to me as 'Shiuta-sama' or as 'Master'." the girl beside him said darkly, glowering up at him from where she stood. Urahara peered out from his hat, which was now placed back on his head.

"I... I don't think I will do that."

It was quiet for several long minutes, the two people staring at each other angrily, arms crossed, frowns evident. Clearly, they didn't get along so well. Sighing audibly, Shiuta bent down and rustled through several large bags that lay at her feet. After much growling and yelling of swear words, the brown haired girl emerged once more with a bad of paper, a pencil and a marker. Urahara took one look at the items in her hands, and then flipped the wooden board behind them, displaying a pearly white dry erase board.

"Now, then, readers! You have been with us for thirty-one chapters, and I believe it is time to clear a few things up."

"A lot of things up." Shiuta muttered, glancing down at her pad of paper. "I'm even confused, and I wrote the damn thing."

"That doesn't bode very well, Master."

"First thing's first." Shiuta said, suddenly taking on an extremely serious tone and pointing at the dry erase board with the cap of her marker. "I'll break down the basics of Hitsugaya Hiori for you all." After several seconds, Shiuta backed away from the board, which now displayed a highly inaccurate stick-figure portrayal of Hiori, who was now drawn in red ink. "This is Hiori- She's a Shinigami."

"Obviously." Urahara said, though he gave a reassuring nod in Shiuta's direction. She responded with a glower before continuing on.

"Hiori died in the real world and arrived in West Rukongai with her brother, Toshiro. I never bothered to calculate the exact date of their arrival, time lines in Soul Society are hard enough to follow as it is." she said, sighing loudly and writing a few more notes of the board. "Now, after a long stay in West Rukongai, Hiori decided that she wanted to become a Shinigami, so she left behind her brother in the care of family friends and was accepted into Shino Academy-"

"Of course, by then, she had already learned the name of her Zanpakuto, Amaterasu."

"I _know_ that, Urahara, I fucking wrote this!"

"Of course Master."

Clearing her throat a little more loudly than necessary, Shiuta plowed on. "After four years in the Academy, Hiori's powers had progressed to the point where the people of authority, whoever they may have been, informed her that if he powers kept growing as they had been she would be allowed to graduate at the end of her fourth year. Now, let me be clear, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Both Ichimaru Gin and Kaien Shiba were allowed to graduate early from the academy."

"I already knew that."

"Maybe, but maybe _they_ didn't."

"Of course Master."

"Just before Hiori graduated, she met Kensei, the Captain of the Ninth Division." Shiuta explained, drawing yet another shitty stick figure on the board, identifying it as Kensei by drawing a large 69 over the part of his stick figure body that would have been his chest. "After she was assigned an unseated position of the Sixth Division, which is the Division that Kuchiki Genrei, Byakuya's grandfather, was Captain of."

"I'll bet Kuchiki-san loved that!" Urahara chortled amusedly, flapping his fan in front of his face. Shiuta didn't seem to find this at all funny, however, and slapped the fan from his hands instantly. He gasped as it fell to the floor with a clatter.

"They used to be friends." she hissed as she prodded him in the forehead with her marker. "Get with the program, cretin!"

"Did they really."

"Kind of."

"I see."

"_Anyways._" Shiuta began again, stressing her words in an attempt to tell Urahara not to interrupt her again. "Hiori worked hard for several years, doing her best to work her way up and out of an unseated position. During this time, it is assumed that she developed a relationship of sorts with Kensei, though when it started exactly is still a gray area. Hiori was eventually given the offer of becoming the Lieutenant. Of course, this put a strain on her and Byakuya's relationship, which was already pretty strained to begin with because... Well, it's Byakuya, and he's a strained kind of guy."

"Indeed he is, Shiuta-sama."

"I know he is."

"I know you know he is."

"I kn- Hey, wait..." Shiuta narrowed her eyes, glowering up at the giddy blonde man in front of her. Clearly, he wasn't taking this Omake Theater thing seriously. Who could blame him? Shiuta was feeling pretty stupid herself. "Anyways- After receiving the position of Lieutenant, Hiori's personality began rapidly deteriorating, which did not go unnoticed by Kensei, who was closest to her. Others who hadn't known her too well to begin with just pushed aside their doubts and assumed it was normal for her. She earned several names for herself during this time, including the moniker Hitsugaya-Hentai, which made fun of her frivolous and flirtatious attitude despite her (apparently) sexual relationship with Kensei."

"She was a loose woman, indeed."

"That was never actually proven." Shiuta corrected, raising a single finger mater-of-factly.

"Really now?"

"Really now."

"She used to like me, you know." Urahara stated, waving his fan in front of his face, which Shiuta promptly slapped from his hands once more. He pouted.

"I knew that, idiot, now hush!" she muttered, uncapping her marker and turning back towards the board. "As I was saying. It was during this personality change that the personality that later became Hollow Hiori took over completely. There was basically nothing left of the old Hiori. That being said, when Hiori began to change into an actual Hollow, the evil personality within her was devoured, leaving what remained of the old Hiori, and some other bits."

"Bits?" Urahara murmured thoughtfully as he surveyed the dry erase board. "Are we still talking about souls? Or body parts?"

"Souls. Definitely souls." Shiuta replied stonily. "Now, the circumstances surrounding Hiori's eventual Hollowfication and other such things are still a mystery, and they'll stay that way until the end of the Arrancar Arc."

"What's an Arrancar?" Urahara muttered, but Shiuta just made a sympathetic expression.

"You'll find out soon enough, cretin." she said softly, patting Urahara on the head before she continued. "Once Hiori was smuggled into the human world along with the other Vizards, she sent herself into a coma until what remained after her Hollowfication was strong enough to fight off her Hollow. After that, she stumbled out of Urahara Shop in a Gigai and was found near the Hospital, and was later taken in by the Arisawa family. This is where the story actually starts."

"Actually, it started two years after that."

"Shut it." Shiuta hissed, drawing a large red X on Urahara's face with her marker. "When our story begins, Hiori meets Ichigo and Rukia when Ichigo is fighting his first Hollow. After several run-ins with the dynamic duo, Rukia comes to realize that Hiori may be more than just your average human girl, since she was able to use a Kido spell with no incantation."

"Quite an impressive feat."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Too bad she really didn't know how to do it."

"Hush." Shiuta muttered. "After that, Hiori gets up to all sorts of shenanigans with those two, all the while being tormented by her Inner Hollow whispering creepy things inside of her head."

"And don't forget Yoruichi." Urahara added, pointing towards the corner where the dark skinned woman in question was currently sitting. "I think it's safe to say that she tormented Hitsugaya-san a fair amount."

"Yeah, seeing her naked had to be pretty life scarring..."

"Hey!" Yoruichi barked, glaring up from her mug full of milk. "I'm sitting right here!" Shiuta and Urahara ignored her, however, and instead continued on with their summary of the previous thirty one chapters.

"During this time, Hiori also begins to suspect that she is developing feelings for Ichigo- But that's hardly her biggest problem, considering she is a Shinigami that is hundreds of years old and has no memories."

"Very true."

"Before venturing off into Soul Society to save Rukia, Hiori rediscovers her Zanpakuto, Amaterasu, who is an Ice Element Zanpakuto. It's later discovered, however, that he is not her Zanpakuto."

"Maybe you should explain how that works?"

"Good point," Shiuta murmured, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, basically, the part of Hiori that was eaten during Hollowfication completely took over beforehand, back when she was still a Lieutenant. So, basically, she was a Hollow inside before she was a Hollow outside, thus the Zanpakuto became Hollow's. However, once Hollow was eaten during Hollowfication, it didn't change the fact that the Zanpakuto still belonged to her. So each time Hiori used it, Hollow's power grew."

"How unlucky."

"Tell me about it." Shiuta replied, picking up Hiori's new Zanpakuto with one hand. "And now, she's stuck with this wimpy lil' thing!"

"It certainly is small, isn't it?"

"Very." Shiuta said, taping the blade on her fingertips. "As the readers know, this blade came to her while she was unconscious- Amaterasu's original form changed during the span of a week, while she was asleep. In addition, Amaterasu himself- The embodiment of the Zanpaukto Spirit, that is- Has also started changing. Hiori noticed red in his eyes, which is a substantial hint as to what this new Zanpakuto's power is."

"Is it the power of love?"

"... No. No, it is not the fucking power of love."

"I never said anything about fucking, Shiuta-sama."

"Neither did I." she replied swiftly, hitting Urahara roughly in the gut with the Zanpakuto's hilt before he could make any sort of retort. "Anyways. So far, Hiori has discovered that:

A) Her Hollow is linked to Amaterasu and, until he changes completely, she still has a very strong hold on her.

B) Her Hollow seems to think that Aizen is her creator/master/leader. (Sounds kinky, right? Hiori thinks so, too. She's really uncomfortable about it.)

C) Her new Zanpakuto, which is slowly taking over Amaterasu's body, won't call her by her name. What does that mean? You'll find out.

and...

D) Byakuya seems to be totally okay with holding hands."

"That's a wonderful list you've constructed." Urahara said jovially, watching as Shiuta finished writing on the dry erase board. She ignored this, however, and continued drawing a stick-figure Aizen in the corner.

"Also, Aizen called Hiori and 'Experiment' when Ukitake would give her up. What the hell is that all about?"

"I figured you would know, Shiuta-sama..."

"Of course I do, it was a rhetorical question." she replied swiftly as she put the cap on her marker. "All questions will be answered in the Arrancar Arc."

"Again, I ask: What is an Arrancar."

"I'll tell you one thing, they're damn fine."

"... Excuse me?"

"_Fine._ You know... Attractive?" Shiuta explained, making hand motions in a vain attempt to get Urahara to understand. He just shook his head with dismay. _Authors._ he thought to himself. "Whatever. You're useless. Anyways- Readers, there is a poll on my profile. Go vote for your favorite pairing! Now, don't get me wrong, I already have a pairing in mind. BUT. If the votes don't match up with what I'm thinking, that could change. So if there's something you want to see, you should go vote!"

"Yes... Go vote."

"Sound more enthusiastic, Urahara." Shiuta muttered, but Urahara simply grumbled something inaudible. A sudden crash came from outside the door, and a moment later both Hiori and Ichigo came bursting into the room.

"I'm telling you, I left it with my stuff and then it was gone!"

"I didn't take your stupid Zanpakuto." Ichigo sighed, running his hands through his hair in aggravation. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're jealous!"

"_Jealous_? Of that tiny thing?" he scoffed. "No way! Besides, it doesn't even have a name or powers, what good is it to me?"

"I knew you had a size complex." Ichigo made to retaliate, but Yoruichi began nodding wisely from her place in the corner.

"We all thought it, Ichigo. The next step is to admit your problem and then accept it."

"Goddammit! I don't have a friggin' size complex!"

"Oh. There it is." Hiori said, grabbing her Zanpakuto out of Shiuta's hands. The her eyes hardened into a glare, eyeing the brown haired girl from head to toe. "Who the hell are you? And why do you have my Zanpakuto?"

"I'm nobody." Shiuta said mystically before vanishing in a puff of smoke, leaving behind her pad of paper and pen.

"... Right..." Hiori bent down and scooped up the pad of paper, but before she could read anything, Urahara snatched it away.

"No, Hitsugaya-san! This contains secrets! Deadly secrets!"

"But-"

"No buts! We can't know the future before it happens." And then he promptly ripped the pad of paper to teeny tiny bits. Ichigo and Hiori exchanged glances.

"WTF." Hiori murmured. Both Ichigo and Urahara made a face.

"Don't talk in chatspeak, Hitsugaya-san, it's not lady like."

"So not cool, Hiori." Ichigo muttered, shaking his head sadly. Hiori simply gaped, feeling completely ashamed of herself.

"Sorry, I... I don't know what got into me." she sighed, rubbing her head, which was now hurting a considerable amount. Urahara glanced around suspiciously, causing both bright haired teenagers to cast him wary glances.

"It's Shiuta-sama... She's doing this."

"Who's... That?"

"No time. I have to find her, and ask her about the Arrancars!" And with that, Urahara also disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Or, more precisely, he threw a few smoke bombs in the air and the ran out of the door. Ichigo and Hiori once again exchanged glances.

"Remind me again why we let him teach us important things?"

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><p><strong>So... This was really weird to write. But also strangely fun. Hope this cleared up a few questions, or at least put a few things in perspective for any confused readers out there!<strong>

**I recently received a PM, asking whether Hiori would ever be paired with anyone: Trust me, she WILL. I already have someone in mind, but that could change depending on whether or not anyone votes on the poll on my profile- So go on ahead!  
><strong>

**Enjoy and review, readers! And look forward to the coming Arrancar Arc! **


	33. Part 3: And the Rain Continues

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><p><em>"This entire world exists for the sake of cornering you."<em>

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><p><strong><em>Binda Blinda: Part 3<em>**

**_The Espada_**

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><p>"He's taking over, Hiori," Amaterasu murmured.<p>

It had been quite some time since she, Ichigo and the others had made it back to the world of the living. Strangely enough, the end of their journey had been just as strange as the rest; Hiori doubted that she had been the only one surprised when Urahara had picked them all up on some sort of weird flying carpet. Needless to say, Ichigo had been less than pleased about Urahara using them to protect whatever it had been that Aizen was looking for. Hiori wasn't too savvy when it came to the details of the whole complicated ordeal- After all, she had been asleep, and had been forced to rely on Orihime for information.

Glancing around, Hiori once again found herself within her crumbling inner world. She sighed. She had to admit, she actually kind of missed her room now. At first she had been able to put up with the rubble and the crumbling and the breaking of rocks and scary demon energy and whatnot- But now, it was just getting old. She glanced around quickly again, hoping against hope that the scene would once again change back to her room, which was now located in one of the empty back rooms of Urahara Shop.

Nothing changed.

"You mean my Zanpakuto?" Hiori asked as she leaned against the wall. Amaterasu nodded. "And what does that mean for you?"

"Essentially, I will cease to exist." Amaterasu explained, pursing his lips and avoiding her eyes. Hiori, however, didn't really seem to mind. Ever since Amaterasu had willingly backed down and allowed Hollow to do as she pleased, she had completely lost what little trust she had had left for the Zanpakuto Spirit. To be honest, she was having a great deal of trouble with forgiving him. "This form I have now will change and become your Zanpakuto's, whatever that may be. Who knows? He may look a good deal like me." Hiori chuckled softly, bringing her eyes up to meet Amaterasu's.

"Yeah. Who knows." she muttered, giving him a small smile. If he was going to cease to exist, she might as well be nice to him while she could. "But... I do have a question."

"Don't you always?" Hiori rolled her eyes, but refrained from retaliating any more than necessary. "Go on. What's the question."

"... Why is it that my Zanpakuto never says my name?" This question seemed to throw the dark haired boy off guard, as all he did was raise his eyebrows in astonishment.

"What?"

"It always calls me 'Wielder', never 'Hiori'. Why is that?"

"Couldn't tell you..." Amaterasu muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and crouching down, the tip of his nose nearly touching Hiori's. "Before you leave, I think I should just say... I'm sorry..." With one long last look, Hiori watched as the rocky walls around her blurred and faded.

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><p>"What the-!" Hiori sat up swiftly, her wild red hair flying around her in the open space as she did so. Her hand clutched at her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly. Everything had seemed so normal... But she was certain that, just before she had come out of her inner world, she had seen Aizen. But that made absolutely no sense. Why would she be dreaming about Aizen? More importantly, had he been inside of her inner world, or just inside of her mind? Finally managing to push her frantic thoughts aside, Hiori collected herself before glancing around her room.<p>

Hiori had to admit it- Even though she missed Tatsuki dearly, she liked this room a great deal more than the one she had slept in at her house. The walls were painted stark white, all but one, which was papered with various newspaper clippings. Shiny trinkets and chimes hung from the ceiling, casting little beams of light every which way as they shifted. To her right was a small closet, holding what few clothes she had, and in the opposite corner of the room was her bed, which was essentially a mattress on the floor. This, however, did not take anything away from the comfiness of it.

"Hitsugaya-san!" Urahara called loudly, throwing open her door and grinning broadly. "You're going to be late for school, right?"

"I won't be, I've got time." Hiori replied as she pushed herself out of bed. Her hair had grown a few inches since they had returned from Soul Society, and it now hung just a little bit past her hips. It surprised Hiori that she had been able to keep the fact that she was now living with Urahara from the others- Orihime especially. Hiori figured that she must have devoted what was left of her summer to training or something, since she clearly hadn't been hanging out with Tatsuki any. If she had, both she and Ichigo would have been looking all up and down Karakura Town for her in a flash. As luck would have it, however, this situation had been easily avoided.

"Is it really still necessary to continue pretending to be a human high school girl?" Urahara inquired, not looking at all embarrassed as Hiori lifted her shirt of her head and slipped into her school uniform. The familiar crisp white shirt was oddly constricting, and she eyed her deep red tie with disdain as she knotted it around her neck.

"No, but I'd like to see my friends." she replied, pulling on her skirt and grabbing her school bag. "Besides, it's not like I've got anything better to do."

"I still say you're just in it for those scandalous uniforms," Urahara remarked as he backed out of the doorway, giving Hiori space to exit her room. The redhead frowned over at him, barely having to glance up to meet his eyes. Her hair wasn't the only thing that had grown- She had also shot up a whopping two inches, bringing her total height to five feet nine inches. She hoped for Ichigo's sake that he, too, had grown. Knowing his size complex, he wouldn't be too happy if she outgrew him in the literal sense. "And anyways, Hitsugaya-san, you could be practicing with your new Zanpakuto."

"I told you," Hiori replied swiftly whilst snatching Yoruichi's toast from her fingers. "Fish fuesluss." Urahara raised an eyebrow as Hiori attempted to speak through a mouthful of buttered toast. She swallowed, glaring over at him as he continued to give her a disapproving look. "I said, 'It's useless'. It still calls me wielder, and it hasn't even shown itself to me yet. So there's really no point."

"But-"

"Nope. I'm going to school now, Urahara!" she called, waving lazily over her shoulder as she exited Urahara Shop. "And Yoruichi, stay _out_ of my room this time. The last thing I need is to find your catnip all over my pillow again."

"I said it once, I'll say it again. Hiori, that _wasn't_ catnip." Yoruichi replied, earning herself a surprised look from Urahara. Hiori, however, seemed to have missed the joke, as she had already vanished around the corner and was now out of sight.

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><p>"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!"<p>

The familiar voice of Inoue Orihime made its way to Ichigo's ears, and he raised his eyes from his desk to nod her a solemn good morning. Ever since Ukitake had given him his Substitute Shinigami badge, it had been going off nonstop, and he hadn't gotten so much as a second of sleep. What was more, Hiori had missed their first day back at school. Despite Hiori's air of nonchalance and typical laziness, Ichigo new for a fact that she didn't often skip in order to keep the faculty off of her back.

As if arriving right on cue, the one and only Tatsuki wondered into the classroom right behind Orihime, who was still smiling at him in a way that was way too energetic for so early in the morning. Ichigo cleared his throat, catching the dark haired girl's attention before speaking.

"Hey, Tatsuki, where's Hiori been?" To his surprise, Tatsuki arched her eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" she snapped, ruffling her dark tresses as she set her bag down on her desk. "Ichigo, who the heck are you talking about?" It was Orihime's turn to be surprised, and she placed her hand on Tatsuki's forehead as if to check to see if she was sick.

"Tatsuki-chan, you feeling alright?" she murmured thoughtfully, and Tatsuki merely replied with a defiant splutter. "We're talking about-"

"Take your seats!" The teacher's voice interrupted Orihime's interrogation, and most of the class turned their attention to the front of the room. "Now then. Two new students have just transferred, so they'll be introducing themselves today... Come on in!" The class turned their heads, watching as the doors slid open, revealing two tall, lanky people, one male and one female. Ichigo had never seen the boy before in his life, but the sight of the girl made his breath catch in his throat.

"Hiori?" he blurted, and the class' attention was then focussed entirely on him. He frowned. Hiori simply smiled and nodded, but said nothing, and Orihime looked back and forth rapidly between the redhead and the carrot top.

"Is that who you were asking about, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, pointing directly at Hiori, not seeming to care whether or not pointing was rude. "How'd you know she was coming?"

"... Just a guess..." Ichigo muttered, giving Hiori a look as if to say 'What the fuck'. She ignored it, however, and instead wrote her name on the blackboard behind her. The boy next to her appeared to be trying his best to stay as far away from her as possible, and even as he wrote his name he leaned away from her. Ichigo didn't bother to pay attention to what exactly he was saying- Just continued watching curiously as he nimbly avoided Hiori at all costs.

"Hei as in Henheisoku. Ko as in Onameimoko. Shin as in Shinsei-Kohai, and Ko as in Kamoshi-Mentaiko." the boy bowed low to the ground, and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at Hiori's expression as she watched the new guy. It was priceless. Tatsuki seemed to think so, too, as she let out a small snort and whispered 'This new girl's cool' to Orihime. "Hirako Shinji- Nice to meet you all." With this, Hiori's eyes widened to the size of saucers. This only caused Ichigo more confusion... Did Hiori know this guy?

"Hirako-kun, you wrote your name backwards," Hiori muttered, which caused the class to break into nervous giggles.

"How does it look?" Shinji replied, though he completely avoided Hiori's eyes. "For writing backwards, I'd say I'm pretty good."

"When exactly does that skill come in handy?" Shinji ignored this, however, and turned his attentions towards the teacher. She smiled nervously, her eyes darting suspiciously between Shinji and Hiori.

"Alright, Hirako-kun, you can take the seat back there," she said, pointing at the empty desk next to Ichigo. "Hitsugaya-san, you can sit beside Inoue-san." Ichigo could barely suppress a low chuckle- This must have been Hiori's lucky day.

Hiori quietly made her way towards the empty desk beside Orihime, her eyes cast low, though Orihime could tell that she was gazing shiftily in the direction of Hirako Shinji. Orihime smiled broadly as the redhead took her seat, but she got no such smile in reply.

"Hiori-chan, where have you been?" she whispered so that only Hiori could hear. Tatsuki was watching them curiously, but Hiori doubted that she could hear what they were saying. "Ichigo and I have been worried!" Hiori's eyebrow twitched- _Ichigo and I._

"I've been around," she murmured, pretending to listen to the teacher as she rambled on about the start of the year. "It's nothing to worry about."

"But Tatsuki-chan doesn't remember you!" she breathed, and Hiori's eyes softened. Suddenly, she was regretting not explaining to them about how Tatsuki would forget. Concern and worry were clearly displayed in Orihime's eyes, and despite Hiori's deep seated dislike of the girl, she couldn't help but feel more than a little guilty. "Hiori-chan, why doesn't Tatsuki-chan-"

"What's that about me?" Tatsuki muttered, leaning forward in her seat. Both Orihime and Hiori jumped with surprise, looking back in her direction.

"I... Uh, I was just saying to Hiori-chan that you're my best friend, and she should meet you!"

"_Hiori-chan_? You're already on a first name basis?" Tatsuki asked, clearly surprised. Hiori smiled in response, grasping Orihime's shoulder firmly and patting her in a friendly way.

"Orihime and I go way back... But I just moved here, so now we've been reunited!" Orihime's wide eyes snapped in her direction and Hiori shrugged nervously. "And stuff..."

_"HOLLOW! HOLLOW!"_

Hiori and Orihime jumped in unison yet again as Ichigo's substitute Shinigami badge went off. Thankful for the sudden distraction, Hiori and Orihime took the initiative to diffuse the fragile situation that had developed in their seating area. Hiori sighed tiredly as Ichigo took off out of the classroom, leaving a very confused-looking Hirako Shinji in his wake.

First day back in Karakura Town, and already things were going wrong.

* * *

><p>"Ah, welcome back, Hitsugaya-san!" Urahara called, waving his green and white striped hat in the air as Hiori rounded the corner. She grimaced, hoisting her school bag higher up her shoulder. "How was-"<p>

"School blows, and so does this town." she muttered, though much of her stiffness and tension melted away as Ururu ran up and clung to her legs. Hiori and Ururu had bonded during her stay at Urahara Shop, mostly due to the fact to Ururu's room was connected to her own, and she would often wake her up in the middle of the night, as she seemed to suffer from nightmares on a semi-regular basis.

"Well that's no attitude to have on your first day back!"

"Bite me, Urahara." Hiori retorted. "Tatsuki doesn't remember me, Ichigo and Orihime are all over each other and..." Urahara raised his eyebrows. At least, Hiori assumed they did, but she couldn't see very well due to the fact that he always wore his hat way too low on his head. "Hirako Shinji's in town."

"Aha. I should have seen this coming."

"Really? How do you figure?"

"Because of Kursaki-san." he explained, which only made Hiori's confusion even greater. "Because of his inner Hollow." Hiori's eyes widened- Ichigo had an inner Hollow? Why hadn't she heard about this sooner? If anything, she should have been one of the first to know- After all, she had trained with Ichigo before they had ventured off into Soul Society; How the hell had she not heard about this?

"And you were going to tell me that Ichigo was just like me... When?"

"He's hardly _like you_ Hitsugaya-san." Urahara stated matter-of-factly. Hiori simply rolled her eyes in response. "All things considered, I would say that your situation is a great deal more complicated, though that doesn't change the fact that Hirako Shinji is most likely here for Ichigo's sake."

"What, so he's here to do him some sort of favor?"

"... Not exactly." Urahara murmured darkly. Hiori decided to let it go, as she seriously doubted Urahara would give her any straight answers, anyways. So instead, Hiori seated herself down on the front porch beside Ururu, setting up a board a pieces for a quick game of Shogi. As the sun set, an ominous Reiatsu spread over Karakura Town, but Hiori made no comment as Urhara went rushing off to some unnamed place without saying a word. Hiori found her excessively complacent disposition to be very disconcerting, as it had been plaguing her ever since her return from Soul Society. She felt empty... Out of place, and stuck in a world where she didn't belong, even though she had returned of her own free will.

She got little sleep that night, laying awake and concentrating on the multiple fluctuating Reiatsus throughout Karakura Town.

* * *

><p>"Morning, Hiori-chan!"<p>

Hiori's blank expression flickered slightly at the familiar sound of Orihime's voice, and she turned all the way around to meet Orihime head on. She was smiling in her usual bright and happy way. Despite herself, Hiori smiled back, thankful for the one constant variable in her life: Inoue Orihime. She waited for her patiently, allowing her to catch up to her so they could enter the school together.

"So Hiori-chan. Are you going to explain?"

"Explain?"

"Why you didn't tell us about Tatsuki-chan." she explained as they made their way up the staircase. "You should've told us about her forgetting you."

"It didn't really seem to have anything to do with you." Hiori replied while shrugging nonchalantly. Orihime made a face, stepping in front of the doorway to the classroom and holding out both arms, as if to keep Hiori from entering.

"Hiori-chan, what's wrong with you?" she said sternly, glaring up at the redhead from her place in front of the door. "You've been acting weird since yesterday, and I'm sure that Ichigo will be-"

"Ichigo will be what, Inoue?" Hiori snapped, folding her arms carefully and raising an eyebrow. "Last time I checked, I was the last thing on Ichigo's mind. He's got bigger things to worry about."

"Hiori-chan, that isn-"

"I'm fine, ok?" And with that, Hiori pushed past Orihime, leaving a very confused and sad girl behind as she entered the classroom. Inside of the classroom was no better, as Hirako Shinji was jubilantly greeting Ichigo in a voice that was much too loud for Hiori at the present time. Hiori pursed her lips as she watched Shinji curiously- During her time asleep in Soul Society, she had remembered many things. One of these things was Hirako Shinji. Hiori figured that gaining all of her memories again may have been one of many things that her mood had been so horrible lately. It was like she had met all of these people, and done all of these things, but now she was some sort of empty vessel with no past and no present- Only memories.

"Good morning Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called, her previous confusion apparently left at the door. Ichigo looked less than pleased, though he said nothing. Shinji turned his attention to Orihime and returned her wave with equal enthusiasm. "Ah, good morning Hirako-kun!"

"You remembered my name Orihime-chan!" Shinji called, returning her greeting with an enormous hug.

"Hey now!" Keigo called angrily which earned him an enormous glare from Shinji.

"Stop being so noisy," Hiori muttered, holding her head in her hands as a ripple of pain coursed through her skull. Shinji snickered as Keigo bristled.

"What is with you transfers?" Keigo screamed angrily. Both Shinji and Hiori gave him a lazy glare, but this did nothing to stop his rant. "First you, calling 'chan' as if you've known her forever! And _you_ being all sassy with your angry remarks!" Hiori made a face.

"I just said to keep it down- Geez. If I'd known I'd get a stupid lecture I would've kept my mouth shut."

"And you, remove your hands from Inoue, she doesn't like that!"

"You're an idiot," Shinji replied. Hiori had to admit, he had one of the weirdest faces that she had ever seen. "If she didn't like it, she would've cried or hit me already. So she's ok with it, right Orihime-chan?"

"Maybe you creep her out too much for her to do anything at all." Hiori suggested from where she was sitting, her head resting in between her arms on her desk. "I mean, what's with that expression?" Shinji glowered.

"I don't need a lecture from from a girl who can't go two seconds without glaring."

"Says the guy who can't go two seconds without _smirking_."

"Oh, is that how you're playing it?" Shinji growled, raising both of his fists. "Maybe you and I should jus-" He was cut off by Ichigo, who grabbed his collar and promptly dragged him out the door. Hiori sighed and closed her eyes- What the hell was wrong with her?

* * *

><p>Aside from Ichigo and Shinji's disappearing act, the rest of the day passed with no major events. Despite that, Hiori's head continued to throb horribly all afternoon. Every time someone spoke to her, it was as if every single word's volume was amplified to impossible proportions. Ichigo had been staring at her the whole day, but Hiori really didn't have enough energy to do anything about it. Orihime had attempted to comfort her, but her voice was so high pitched that it had nearly succeeded in making her faint from pain.<p>

The final bell rang, and Hiori grabbed her bag and skipped down the stairs, taking them two at a time. All she wanted to do was get back to Urahara Shop and sleep, assuming that Urahara wouldn't have some crazy task for her to perform, or Ururu didn't have any nightmares. Was it too much to ask to have a solid six hour sleep with no interruptions?

"Hiori!" She jumped and slapped her palm to her forehead as pain once again went rippling through her skull. Ichigo came running up behind her, touching her shoulder and staring down at her with concern. "You okay?"

"Fine... I'm fine." she hissed, now holding her head with both hands.

"Well... Look, Hiori, we need to talk." he said calmly, looking her dead in the eyes, a serious look now in his eyes. "What's going on with you? Orihime says that you- Hiori?"

"I-Ichi..." Hiori gasped as a second pain went coursing through her, causing her to collapse to the ground and writhe like a dying snake. She could hear Ichigo calling for her, but the world was swimming. She had no idea what was happening- She couldn't hear and she couldn't see; The pain was way too much to think through. One more stab of intense pain... And then a dull throbbing.

Slowly, carefully, as if the slightest wrong move could make her die, she glanced up. It was her inner world. She looked around wildly, forgetting the pain momentarily as she searched frantically for Amaterasu. At last she found him, standing far to her left. But something about him was different.

His short but wild black locks had grown slightly longer on one side, and his once blue eyes were now transitioning to a deep golden orange, speckled with red. It had progressed to the point where his whole left eye and half of his right had changed colors. His skin was also darker, and his face was much more masculine than she remembered... It had to be him. This was her new Zanpakuto. The corners of his lips twitched upwards, the ghost of a smile, as he stared at her unwaveringly.

"Hello, Wielder."

* * *

><p><strong>First chapter of the Arrancar Arc! I know this chapter is a little... I wouldn't say 'boring', but exciting isn't the right word either. Mainly it's just a 'getting back into the swing of things' chapter, since it's the start of a new arc. Of course I had to make it more exciting by leaving you with yet another cliffhanger!<strong>

**I also ended this chapter with several questions for readers to contemplate until the next chapter: Why is Shinji so weird around Hiori? What's with those headaches? And why does her Zanpakuto not call her by her name? These are just a few of the crazy plot twists that'll be revealed in this arc, which I am super psyched to write!**

**Now, I've put a new poll on my profile with the top three guys who were top ranked in the Hiori pairings poll. I had originally decided on Ichigo, but now I'm kind of leaning towards those who voted for Byakuya. So go take your pick so I can make my final decision!**

**Thanks for all the reviews and PMs I've gotten in the past few days, it's great to know all you readers are enjoying my work!**

**Don't forget to review please!**


	34. Part 3: Conquistadores

_Last Chapter..._

_His short but wild black locks had grown slightly longer on one side, and his once blue eyes were now transitioning to a deep golden orange, speckled with red. It had progressed to the point where his whole left eye and half of his right had changed colors. His skin was also darker, and his face was much more masculine than she remembered... It had to be him. This was her new Zanpakuto. The corners of his lips twitched upwards, the ghost of a smile, as he stared at her unwaveringly._

_"Hello, Wielder."_

* * *

><p>"Ah, even though our eyes are opened, we are dreaming offlying through the sky."<p>

* * *

><p>Power of unrivaled proportions. It was Godly, other-worldly, bone crushing, head pounding, fear inducing. Hiori stared up at the boy in front of her, watching as his shaggy, ash-black hair whipped around his face in the nonexistant breeze. Hiori was all too aware that it was absolutely impossible for a breeze to be in her inner world- It was a Maze, after all, boxed within rocky walls and rubble. There was no wind here. Only power.<p>

"I was wondering when you would come and see me." he whispered. Hiori continued staring up into his ember eyes unblinkingly. His tan skinned glistened in the low light, and Hiori's eye could only watch with awe as he moved, his muscles rippled beneath his skin. He looked like a human boy... But upon closer inspection, Hiori could see a pair of rust-red ears poking out just above his human ears. He was part man, part... Animal? A Chimera? Hiori didn't really know the word to describe it. "Is it hard to speak? I'm sorry... All this power, I'm having some trouble keeping it at a level that your body can handle right now."

"I... You... What?" she spluttered, forcing her lungs to work for her as she attempted to form words. The boy smiled that same small smile as he crouched low in front of her, crossing his legs and sitting directly opposite of her. The pressure on her bones and head increased, and despite herself she whimpered. "I can't... I can't think..."

"It'll be better soon." he replied, his eyelids fluttering closed for merely a moment. "The Vizards. They're the key."

"I... What? The what?" Hiori choked out, still holding her head in her hands. "What are you saying? What's a Vizard?" The boy made a 'tsk' noise deep within his throat, and suddenly something warm was placed on top of Hiori's head. She didn't flinch away- It was calming, and the pain within her head was suddenly soothed. She opened her eyes, and what she saw made her almost flinch away from whatever it was that was making her feel better.

It was flame.

White and brilliant flames encircled the boy's palms, which were placed on either side of her head. Somehow, the flames weren't burning her. Instead, calm and relief swept through her, all of her aches and pains vanishing from her body. Something suddenly made its way to Hiori's ears... The boy was humming. It was soft, and just barely audible over the crackling of the flames, but she could still hear it. An oddly peaceful expression painted his features, and his limp red ears perked up somewhat as Hiori shifted positions.

"This isn't healing, you know," he murmured, and Hiori lifted her eyes to meet his.

"What?" she replied, curiosity getting the better of her. "Isn't it?" The boy smiled, removing his hands. Hiori cringed, expecting for the pain to return immediately. But she felt nothing.

"I've just directly exposed you to my energy." he explained, sitting back on his heals and gazing at her, a teasing spark in his eyes. "It may feel like healing, but the truth is that this would only work with you. This will stop the headaches,"

"That was you?" she asked, staring up at him. With the pain back, she was now able to think clearly. "Those headaches were you?" The boy nodded slowly, and continued to rock back and forth on his heals. He looked like a child just caught doing something bad, and Hiori couldn't help but smile. "Was what I was feeling earlier... Was that you, too?"

"You mean that sadness you've been feeling?" he inquired. He leaned closer, now nearly touching noses with Hiori, who did a sort of double take. But unlike Amaterasu, the boy did not try to force a kiss, or cop a feel. He just stared at her, his gaze calm and calculating. "That wasn't me... You're probably feeling that because you are adjusting to the second part of your soul... The part that isn't a Hollow."

"You mean my Other?" He nodded.

"Of course, without both the Hollow and the Other, your body is struggling to make up the difference. You can't give into Hollow, so you only have Other to be your soul... And she's just a piece of it."

"... I don't have a soul?"

"You have a part of one, and your repressing the other." he explained. Hiori nodded slowly, taking in this new information. "It'll get better. Give it time and focus on your life instead of the emptiness. Eventually, it'll get better."

Hiori continued to take in her Zanpakuto Spirit's new appearance with avid curiosity. His eyes were a different shape now, not to mention the color difference. Instead of icy and restrained, they were now smoldering and playful. His skin was like light caramel, and his shaggy dark hair curled up at the ends in a way that Amaterasu's never had. All that remained of her former Zanpakuto was the little patch of ice blue in his right eye. A low chuckle met Hiori's ears, and she was slightly embarrassed to find that she had been stroking his dog ears.

"Can I just ask, what's with the ears?" He smiled, gripping the tips with his own fingers and giving them a gentle tug. Several piercings caught the light and glinted; She could count three in total on each ear, and all of them were identical pyramid spikes.

"This form I've taken is a Hellhound." he revealed, which only made Hiori all the more surprised. She had been expecting something cryptic like 'You'll find out soon', or 'Figure it out yourself'. She had just been getting used to it with Amaterasu, only to find that it wasn't necessary with her new Zanpakuto. "Or at least partly, anyways. I've just got the ears and tail."

"Fire..."

"I'm the opposite of him, right?" he said cheerfully, grinning down at her. Hiori gazed at his pointed canines, which were much sharper than any normal human's. "Of Amaterasu."

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess you are."

"It makes sense, though. You were the opposite of Hollow, after all. It's pretty lame to say, but you were like Yin and Yang." At this, Hiori laughed, a wide smile stretching her lips. It was the first time that she had really, truly smiled since her return from Soul Society. For so long she had been wondering if she had made the right choice- To leave her brother, to leave Byakuya, to leave her home. But if she had stayed, she didn't think that things would have gone this way. "... I was being serious, though." he said, pouting slightly.

"I know, I know." she comforted, ruffling his hair. He closed his eyes, apparently enjoying the feeling of being petted. This only made Hiori laugh even more, and she was now displaying a brilliant, toothy grin. "You really are just like a puppy!" Suddenly he bristled, jerking away from her hand and glaring at her in a childish way, as if her words were being used to make fun of him.

"Hey now, I ain't a puppy!" he scowled, and Hiori made a face. 'Ain't?' she thought to herself, raising an eyebrow. If she had had any doubts about Amaterasu and this boy's differences before, there certainly wasn't any question now- Amaterasu definitely never said 'ain't'. "I'm a terrifying and all-powerful Hellhound. Get that through your thick skull!" Much to the boy's dismay, Hiori simply laughed.

"Just like a puppy..." His ears flattened in annoyance. He frowned and folded his arms, glaring down at Hiori as she continued laughing. "Look at those ears!"

"What's wrong with my ears?" he exclaimed, covering them with his palms as Hiori's laughter increased.

"Nothing, they're adorable,"

"No. No, no, no, they're not!" he yelled as he pointed at her accusingly. "They're terrifying! I'm a friggin' _Hellhound!_" Finally Hiori managed to sober up, and she covered her lips playfully in an attempt to stop whatever giggles might attempt to force their way out later. The boy seemed pleased, though he didn't crouch down in front of her again. "Someone's got a case of the giggles." Hiori just shrugged and pushed herself into a standing position.

"Well," she said softly. She extended her hand towards the boy, who regarded it in confusion. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hellhound." Seeming to grasp the concept, the boy reached out his own hand, wrapping it around Hiori's for a handshake.

"My name is **_Jairo_**." he replied, continuing to shake her hand as he stared into her eyes. "And it's nice to meet you... Wielder."

* * *

><p>"So what if your grades went down?" Hiori's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't exactly sure where she was. It looked like some sort of clinic. She was lying under a thin white sheet, concentrating hard on the loud voices in an attempt to figure out just where she was. "Who gives a damn about grades? Grades are <em>crap!<em>" Hiori rolled her eyes. She had only met him once before, and already she was one hundred percent positive of where she was, now.

That was Kurosaki Ishin talking, and she was most definitely in Kurosaki Clinic.

"Is that what a parent would say...?" a feminine voice asked. Ishin carried on however, ignoring the young girl's pleas for silence.

"High school is when you should be doing things that are difficult to speak of, like falling in love!" he said loudly, and Hiori could only imagine what sort of strange poses and faces he was making while he spoke. "What about the girl you carried in, Ichigo? That was very manly of you, by the way, I had no idea you were so strong!" Hiori flushed crimson, pulling the sheets to her chin. Clearly, she wasn't supposed to be hearing this conversation.

Without making a sound, Hiori threw the covers from her body. The pads of her bare feet touched the ground and, for a moment, she had an odd feeling of deja vu from when she had woken up from her week-long sleep in Soul Society. She shivered slightly, getting her bearing before standing up entirely. Her shoes sat neatly beside the bed, and she slipped them on before promptly clambering out of the window of Kurosaki Clinic and high-tailing it to the place farthest from it.

Hiori gazed up at the sun, which beamed brightly through the clouds that lightly dusted the sky. Her conversation with her Zanpakuto Spirit had given her not only peace of mind, but also hope. The empty feeling she had been experiencing since her return from Soul Society was already lessening- And really, Jairo was right. She just had to give it time. If she focussed on the passing time, her friends, and her fighting, the pain would ebb away. _Time healed all wounds_. Even if scars were often left behind.

Yet another thing about Jairo that Hiori was surprised about was the fact that she was completely comfortable around him. Amaterasu had always kept her on her toes, constantly guessing. With Jairo, she could just float. It wasn't as if Jairo didn't come with his own mysteries, though. She still didn't quite understand what he had meant when he had said that he was a Hellhound. She new what a Hellhound was, of course, however vague, but she wasn't entirely clear on what that meant for his powers. The most pressing question surrounding Jairo, however, was why he wouldn't say her name. He'd had absolutely no qualms with telling her his name... And it had been oddly easy to hear it. So why couldn't he just call her 'Hiori'?

It was when she was in the middle of these thoughts that it happened. Hiori stopped dead in her tracks- She felt something pull on her, like a fish caught on a hook. Whatever it was pulling on refused to budge, however, much to her relief. She didn't really want to find out what the force had been after. She seemed to be one of the lucky ones, though, since she suddenly saw dozens of blue lights flying towards a nearby clearing. She arched an eyebrow- That really didn't look good.

Without thinking, she broke into a sprint. It was faster than she had ever run in her life, but somehow Hiori felt that it was absolutely necessary. She could feel some sort of foreign Reiatsu all around her... But it wasn't crushing her like it normally did. She smiled- Jairo's flames must have done something to her. She continued bounding through the trees, following the crushing noises and the fluctuating Reiatsu towards the spot where she knew the intruders would be. Hiori paused. Orihime was there... And Chad... And Ichigo.

She picked up her pace, somehow knowing that she little to no time to waste. The Reiatsu was getting stronger, not to mention that something was seriously wrong with Ichigo. She could feel his power growing, then fading. Growing, then fading. It wasn't normal, and she knew it. Hiori reached into her pocket, pulling out the tiny round candy that Urahara had given her when she had returned from Soul Society. Popping it into her mouth, she separated her spirit from her body, which doubled back and took off in the opposite direction.

Hiori's clothes were different now, and she actually preferred this get up to her flowy and slightly more bulky shihakushou that she had worn during her time in Soul Society. Instead, she now wore a dark long sleeved shirt, which had a high neck and ended halfway down her ribcage, exposing her flat stomach. On the bottom she wore a comfy pair of gray sweats, which bunched up just below her knees, and the classic Shinigami Sandals. Most of the outfit had been borrowed from Yoruichi, who hadn't seemed to mind in the least. She wasn't really a fan of clothes.

"Die! Die, you little shit!" A deep voice broke through the trees as Hiori made it to the clearing at last. She had less than a second to examine the situation before she sprang into action- Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad were all there, though Orihime and Chad were lying on the ground doing essentially nothing. Beside them, a girl Hiori had never seen before with short auburn hair lifted her head groggily. She looked around weakly before collapsing once again.

Her eyes moved farther to her right, where Tatsuki lay unconscious. "Time's up you little shit! I'm gonna crush you into a bloody pulp!" cried the enormous man in front of Ichigo, raising his fists. As much as she wanted to rush to Tatsuki's side, she knew she simply didn't have the time. It seemed that someone, however, was one step ahead of her.

A blood red shield appeared in front of Ichigo just as Hiori stepped from the woods surrounding the clearing. Her eyes widened as they fell on Urahara, who was glaring up at the man, who Hiori now noticed bore many similar physical traits to a Hollow.

"Hello... Sorry about being late, Kurosaki-san." he said jovially, pushing the man's fist backwards as Benihime's shield shattered, revealing both Urahara and Yoruichi. Although she was glad that they had arrived in the nick of time, Hiori couldn't help but frown. They looked really cool, and she was just standing on the sidelines... Damn them.

"Huh... They just keep comin' one after another." the man said gruffly, as if this fact confused him a great deal. Hiori's eyes moved away from the enormous man as he continued to yell much too loudly, only to fall on a second Hollow-looking man. His ebony hair blew in the slight breeze, his sad turquoise eyes looking straight at her- Hiori's eyes widened. _He was looking straight at her._ She had been so silent, she was sure that nobody would notice. This man, however, seemed to have not been concentrating on the fight at all, but was instead focussing on the fighters' Reiatsu. Clearly, he had felt hers before she had even come into the clearing.

"Yammy." the man said, his voice completely monotonous. The big man paused mid-stride, as he had been on his way over to where Yoruichi was standing. They seemed to have been exchanging blows for several minutes, but somehow Hiori had missed it; Lost in the staring match against the turquoise-eyed man.

"Wha'd'ya want now?" the man bellowed as he raised his single fist. The man's eyes narrowed in Hiori's direction. Ichigo and the others followed his gaze, and all was quiet for several minutes. Until...

"Ah, Hitsugaya-san!" Urahara called happily. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Yammy... They are trash... As proof, they didn't even realize when this girl appeared." he murmured, his eyes still locked on Hiori's. She gulped, and she gripped the hilt of her Zanpakuto, which she carried in a special belt loop on her left hip. What did he mean, they didn't notice? Surely her Reiatsu wasn't so impressive that it couldn't go unmissed? The man seemed to think otherwise, however, and he took a small step in Hiori's direction.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, is that...?" The man, Ulquiorra, nodded slowly.

"Indígena..." he whispered, almost to softly for Hiori to hear. She didn't wait for him to repeat himself, however, and the next second she stood in a battle-ready stance; Sword drawn, expression fiery.

"What the hell are you?" she spat, brandishing her new Zanpakuto in front of her face. Ulquiorra's expression remained impassive, and he took another step closer.

"I'm sure someone here knows," he replied slowly. "You can ask them later... If I don't take you first." Hiori scoffed, though Urahara's expression clearly told her to do otherwise. It was telling her to flee, or back down. She planned on doing neither.

"As if I'd let that happen," she said, a venomous edge present in her voice. Ulquiorra smirked, his fingers touching the hilt of what looked like a Zanpakuto; Hiori did a quick double take. What the hell was a Hollow doing with a Zanpakuto? She could clearly see his Hollow hole... So why did he bear so much resemblance to a Shinigami, as well?

"I am no fool. I have no hopes of taking on the Indígena at her full power," he explained. His tone changed as he spoke, but never once did his expression so much as flicker. "However, Aizen has informed me that you remember next to nothing. Therefore, I believe that, should the need arise, I could succeed in taking you by force."

"Uh huh..." Hiori said, making a mocking expression as she pretended to think over his threat. "Is that right? I don't know what hell an Indígena is, or why you keep bringing it up, but I don't think I'll let you take me by force." Ulquiorra moved his head one way, then another, and Hiori heard an audible crack as his neck stretched. She shivered.

"Hey, Ulqui-"

"Stay out of this, Yammy," Ulquiorra instructed. "You could barely take on that trash, what makes you think you can handle anything more?" he asked snidely, shifting his bright eyes over to his partner, who glowered. Hiori pursed her lips. It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. It was her very first time using her new Zanpakuto in a battle, and she didn't even know how to release it yet. Contemplating this, she briefly wondered if she should say something sassy like 'Be gentle, it's my first time' before fighting with this guy. She quickly dismissed it, however, figuring it'd probably just make her sound skanky.

Hiori shut her eyes, closing out the rest of the world around her. Outside noises vanished from her mind, and all she saw was ash and flame. They were oddly calming, despite their destructive connotation. She breathed in, and she could smell the burning wood and smoke. That was when she heard it... She could hear Jairo whispering the words, and before she knew it, she found them making their way to her lips. They were fluid and pure, so much different than how she felt when she would use Amaterasu. The words flowed from her lips like water, even though the things she spoke made flame, and she felt an odd sort of balance wash over her as she spoke.

**"_Consume or Purify, Jairo!"_**

The blade in her hand began to burn, and the others watched as the flames lengthened. Soon, Hiori found her hand gripping a long stone pole, and at either end were identical blades. Their gray-ish sheen glittered brightly in the afternoon sun as she stared at the twin blades in awe. The tops were rounded, save for a small point at the very end of each, and beneath each blade was a clump of what almost looked like a lion's mane. Long hollow beads clicked together each time the pole shifted, and the sound was calming, grounding her to the spot where she stood, as if reassuring her that there was no way that she would loose.

"So... Ulquiorra, was it?" she murmured as she lifted her eyes off of her new Zanpakuto. "Still think you can take me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Indígena: Spanish for 'Aboriginal' or 'First'.<strong>

**Jairo (pronounced HY-ro): Means 'He will light up'. It is of Spanish origin, and that's yet another hint of what is yet to come in this arc! Think anyone can guess?**

**Jairo's release command, 'Consume or Purify' refers to the saying that Love is like the Fire of life- It either consumes or it purifies. It can go one of both ways. This is demonstrated by the Zanpakuto's destructive power using fire, but also how he was able to stop Hiori's pain at the start of the chapter with the very same flames.**

**In its released form, Hiori's Zanpakuto is two blades on either end of a long pole. The blades are about the same length as from her elbow to her finger tips, but the ends round off before tapering into a sharp point. Beneath each blade is what looks like clusters of fur from a lion's mane and hollow bamboo beads, which click together as Hiori moves around, much like how Amaterasu sang when met with Reiatsu. Somehow, her Zanpakuto always seems to generate a lot of noise.**

**The pole itself isn't anything special, though it does have a lot of notches and lines engraved in it so that Hiori can hold it better.**

**Also, right when Hiori gets there, a new OC is introduced. It's brief, and seems pretty insignificant, but she'll come back into play later. Expect to see her crop up quite a bit throughout this arc. She's going to be pretty important in the long run- Thanks to Kira for letting me use her!**

**To BlueFox/Kira: YOU TOTALLY CALLED IT GOOD WORK!**

**Thanks so much for reviews! I've been updating a lot lately, trying to get as far as I can before school starts back up again, so please be sure to review! Also, the final poll for the Hiori pairing is on my profile, so go vote!**

**Enjoy and review please!**


	35. Part 3: Anger

_..._

* * *

><p><em>"That wound is as deep as the ocean. That bloody murder is as colorless as death."<em>

* * *

><p>"... Are you hesitating, Ulquiorra?"<p>

The man's deep green eyes watched Hiori curiously as she moved, prowling like a wildcat around her prey. With every step that she took, the hollow beads on her Zanpakuto clicked together, giving a sort of calming affect to the extremely tense situation. Tugging his eyes away from her, he directed his attention to Yammy, who was breathing heavily and clutching his arm. He then turned his gaze towards Urahara, Yoruichi and Ichigo, as well as Orihime and Chad. Chad still remained unconscious, and it looked as if Orihime had been beaten to a bloody pulp- Hiori wondered how she hadn't noticed that before.

"Yammy, stay away from this," he instructed calmly, removing his hand from his Zanpakuto as he finally turned to face Hiori head on. "Indígena... Are you truly prepared?" Hiori glared, gripping her own Zanpakuto tighter as she moved in towards her opponent. He was taking way too long with this, and she really wished that he would stop calling her Indígena, whatever the hell that even meant. Clenching her teeth, Hiori crouched low, gray eyes set resolutely on the pale man in front of her.

"Stop calling me that!" she growled before launching herself directly at Ulquiorra. Effortlessly he dodged out of the way, and it was almost as if the whole thing was happening in slow motion. She was in the air, where Ulquiorra had just been standing, and her eyes widened as she watched his hands move. She could tell that he was about to grab her arm and not a moment too soon she shifted out of the way, landing on her feet directly on Ulquiorra's right side.

"You move very slow," he observed, shifting his eyes to look at her. Hiori ducked just as his arm shot out to punch her face, and she felt a rush of air go past her, where her face had been only seconds ago. Ducking, however, seemed to have been exactly what he had wanted her to do, and the next second he raised his knee and brought it into direct contact with her chin. Hiori growled, flying backwards and crashing into the ground behind her. Her teeth were sore, and she tasted blood in her mouth from where she had bitten her tongue.

"Dammit," she muttered, sitting up and wiping blood from the corners of her lips. "You move fast."

"I know." he answered simply. The next second he was behind her, and it was all she could do to simply roll out of the way of a very powerful kick, which had no doubt been aimed at the back of her head. Clearly, Ulquiorra intended to knock her out and drag her back to Hueco Mundo or wherever the hell they had come from in the first place. She glowered. Like hell she'd let that happen.

He lifted his foot yet again, aiming straight for her face, but she blocked it with the thick stone pole that connected the dual blades of her Shikai. Taking advantage of the time her block had provided, Hiori moved a little to her left. Before Ulquiorra could do anything to either block or parry her blow, she head butted him straight in the guy, sending him flying backwards, only to land flat on his back in the dirt.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Yammy's eyes widen in surprise as he watch Ulquiorra push himself off of the ground. Despite his expression being as impassive as ever, Hiori could clearly see annoyance and anger deep within his green eyes. She didn't have long to gloat, however, since the next second he was practically on top of her. Using his hands, he once more attempted to knock her out with a heavy blow to the head, which she blocked using her Zanpakuto. She didn't understand why he didn't just use his Zanpakuto- After all, why have it if you didn't use it? Perhaps he was set on proving that she was still weak, despite being "Indígena", or whatever it was that he kept calling her.

"Is this seriously it?" she taunted, but the next second she regretted it. A metallic clang filled her ears as the edge of his Zanpakuto hit the stone pole, and her eyes widened. She hadn't even seen him move. Twisting downwards, Hiori barely managed to avoid the next slice of his Zanpakuto, and she felt a tug on her hair as he sliced off the tips of a few strands. Utilizing her Zanpakuto's length, she knocked his feet out from under him and managed to deal a heavy blow to his ribcage before he could roll backwards and get back into standing position. He looked up at her while clutching his side, his face still impassive. Hiori grimaced.

Just what the hell was this guy?

"Yammy, we're going." he murmured. Sheathing his Zanpakuto, Ulquiorra tapped the air behind him, which appeared to rip open into some sort of weird make-shift door in the sky. Hiori was now breathing heavily, and used her Zanpakuto as a way to keep herself standing upright.

"What, you're running away?" she breathed, earning a disdainful glance from the turquoise eyed man.

"You're one to talk." he muttered in reply, waiting for Yammy to lumber over to his side. "You've got five people to protect, and your powers are surprisingly low. Laughable, even, considering you are Indígena." Hiori's glower returned full force, her stormy eyes turning dangerously fiery in her humiliation. "Besides, we already completed our mission. I've prepared my report for Captain Aizen. As funny as it may be, the fake Shinigami we were targeting isn't even worth killing, and the Indígena won't be of any use to us as she is now." he explained as the door in the sky closed around him. "As of now, you are still on their level- You are just the usual trash."

With those last words, Ulquiorra vanished, leaving a humiliated Hiori and a beaten Ichigo in their wake. Their eyes met briefly before Hiori turned her attentions towards the injured, and deep within his brown eyes she could see shame and sadness. She knew how he was feeling- She couldn't even please the enemy. How sad was that? Crouching down in front of him, Hiori lay her Zanpakuto in the dirt. Blood dripped down the side of his face, which she wiped away with her fingers as she tried to get a better look at him.

"You alright?" she whispered. Ichigo said nothing. She parted her lips to say something else, but paused; Ichigo was shaking. Hiori stared into his eyes, realizing that it was not from pain, but from anger. Her eyes softened, and she took his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. "This isn't your fault, Ichigo,"

"It is." he choked out between clenched teeth. Hiori scowled, having half a mind to throttle him right then and there. She shook her head again, continuing to wipe crimson blood out of his eyes as she spoke.

"It's not, Ichigo," she said seriously, grabbing his chin and once again forcing him to meet her eyes. "Don't think for a second that this is your fault."

"If I were just stronger-"

"You _are_ stronger!" she retorted, grabbing him by his shihakushou and glaring at him heatedly. "Don't you get it? They'd all be dead if it wasn't for you. Stop blaming yourself for everything- It's not your job to look after everybody all the time. If they get hurt, it's not your fault unless _you_ hurt them. You get me?" Her chest was heaving now with the force of her words, and Ichigo's eyes were wide. Neither of them said anything for quite some time, not really paying attention as Urahara tended to the injured.

"... I'm responsible for them." he said finally, sighing heavily and glaring down at the ground. Furious, Hiori released his collar and stood up, taking her Zanpakuto with her and resisting the urge to thwack him over the head with her heavy stone pole.

"Beat yourself up over it if you want, Ichigo, but the fact of it is is that you're the only one who's gotten stronger here. And it isn't your fault that neither Orihime or Chad haven't been able to better themselves for protection. That's not your fault," Ichigo said nothing for some time, but Hiori didn't move away from him. She waited, watching as Urahara lifted the auburn haired girl onto his back to take her to Urahara Shop for healing. She was the last one, as he had already gotten the others. Her eyes narrowed as she watched her. Something about her seemed... Off. She couldn't put her finger on it, and the next second Urahara vanished with a burst of Shunpo.

As soon as he was gone, Ichigo hoisted himself up, a heated glare marring his face. A glare which Hiori was surprised to find was meant for her. "It's my job to protect them, Hiori!" he yelled angrily, and Hiori back up several steps. Whatever she had been expecting as a reaction, it wasn't this. "I'm stronger, so I should protect them! That's my job!"

"It isn't your job, Ichigo, don't you get that?" Hiori fired back, balling her fists.

"No, I honestly don't!" he yelled as he took a step closer to her. "They're my friends, so I should protect them, shouldn't I? If I don't, then I've failed them!"

"You didn't make any promises, and it's not up to you to see they don't get hurt!" she replied. Her whole body was shaking with anger, and deep inside she felt so betrayed. All she had tried to do was make things better, and this is what she got for her comfort? "If you can save them, then you should, and if you do, that's great! But _it is not your job!_ They should be able to protect themselves by now!"

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand," Ichigo spat viciously. Hiori ceased to breath, lowering her angry fists and exchanging her furious expression for one of confusion and hurt. "You didn't care about anyone back in Soul Society, I guess I shouldn't have expected for that to change!"

"... What?" she breathed out. Her limbs felt limp and numb, and a soft breeze caused the tears that had welled up in her eyes to fall onto her cheeks. "Ichigo, what did you say...?" Ichigo's expression flickered, finally realizing the impact of his words. He took a quick step closer, reaching out to Hiori, but she quickly flinched away.

"H-hey... Hiori, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say-"

"No, but you did, didn't you?" she hissed icily. She was sure that tears were running down her face in rivers, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. She wanted him to feel horrible and guilty. She _wanted _ him to see her tears this time. "If you're so keen on protecting your friends, maybe you should make sure you don't hurt them first."

With that, Hiori turned on her heel, exiting the clearing as quietly as she had arrived. She tuned out Ichigo's calls, pushing them to the back of her mind as she stormed out of the clearing and back into the woods. Finally she stopped, her breathing heavy, shoulders shaking. Suddenly, a vicious snarl ripped from her lips, and an enormous burst of deep red flame flowed from her Zanpakuto, lighting the woods ablaze with her anger and hurt. And that was how she left it, turning her back on the burning woods and stepping back out into the sunlight, heading back to her home in Karakura town.

* * *

><p>"How did you get all of those injuries, Orihime?"<p>

Hiori grimaced from her seat, glaring daggers at the walnut haired girl in front of her. Of course it was just her luck that the minute she walked into class she would be reminded of the horrible incident the day before. Orihime was covered from head to toe in ridiculously bulky bandages, and somehow she doubted that some of them were actually necessary. She was wearing bandages wrapped around her hair, after all, and Hiori was sure that that wouldn't do much for her health. Orihime laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head with her unbandaged arm.

"I fell down some stairs."

"Liar! How can that all be the result of falling down some stairs!" the girl in front of her screamed angrily. She continued to bicker with Orihime for the next several minutes, and just as Hiori managed to tune them out, her concentration was broken as a familiar and badly injured carrot top entered the classroom.

"Inoue..." he muttered, gazing at her sadly from where he stood. Hiori glowered, shoving her head in her arms on her desk. Why did he care so much? If Hiori had gotten hurt, would he have acted to sad? Orihime turned around, smiling brightly up at him.

"What is it, Kurosaki-kun?" she chirped happily, and Hiori rolled her eyes. Clearly, Orihime was as oblivious as ever.

"Nothing... Never mind." he muttered, walking away and going to his desk.

"... What did he want?" Orihime's friend asked curiously, but before she could pester any further Orihime spoke.

"Sorry, Chizuru, I need to go to the bathroom!" she said cheerfully before exiting the classroom. Chizuru continued yelling at her even after she had left the classroom, and Hiori once again blocked the noise from her mind. She could feel Ichigo's eyes burning holes in her, but she absolutely refused to give him the satisfaction of looking at him

_As if._ she thought bitterly, biting her lip and looking decidedly in the opposite direction. A sudden shout alerted Hiori to the presence of someone else... Someone not in the classroom. Directing her attention towards the doors, she focussed her ears on listening for more noises, and was rewarded by a plethora of yelling, which made its way to the classroom from the hallway.

"So, which room is it?"

"No idea."

"WHAT?" said a third voice. Hiori's eyes widened. She knew these voices. She knew these voices _well_. "Didn't you bring your note with you when you left?"

"Ah, I lost it!" a girly voice replied flirtatiously. Hiori blanched. The only other time she had heard that voice was when the owner had been completely drunk- It was her brother's big breasted Lieutenant, there was no doubt about it.

"Lost it? What's wrong with you!"

"Stop arguing, we can pick up on their Reiatsu." Hiori made a face. Were they even trying to blend in?

"It's the first time I'm in this thing, I can't control my Reiatsu properly," said another voice, and Hiori's expression only continued to deteriorate. Yeah, they definitely were _not_ trying to blend in.

"Please excuse his stupidity."

"I'm not stupid! By the way, how can you act so naturally in that thing?"

"Captain Hitsugaya's sister lives in one of these twenty-four seven." the voice replied, and Hiori rolled her eyes. "How hard can it be?"

"I mean, this shirt is so tight and restrictive."

"Then pull the shirt out like us, you idiot."

"IDIOT! If I pull it out, I can't wear a wooden sword on my belt!" Hiori grimaced. How had they even managed to bring a wooden sword into the school? The security there must be some sort of joke. "It's all because you said we couldn't bring real swords! I'm making do with a wooden one!"

"That was not our idea. It's the law." Hiori's eyes widened, and a small smile slowly began to creep onto her face. That voice... Was her brother here? The expressions of her classmates were becoming increasingly more worried, but Hiori's was going in the opposite direction. Her brother was there, in her school. Her little brother was at her school.

"So why can't we carry real swords? That's a shitty law!"

"Quiet, all of you!" her brother instructed, and Hiori's smile only grew. "Just walk quietly and don't draw attention to yourselves." At this, Hiori could only laugh. That seemed completely pointless to say at this point.

"We're here- This is it, I'm opening it." Hiori's eyes widened as the doors to her classroom opened, revealing not only her brother, but five other Shinigami, all dressed in the school uniform. Her face broke into a completely unrestrained smile, and all of the anger, betrayal and resentment that she had been harboring was shoved aside, replaced with an incredible feeling of relief. Her brother's eyes scanned the classroom as Renji greeted Ichigo until they found her, and although he didn't allow his professional facade to fade, he nodded in her direction as she stood up.

"Good morning, Nee-sama," he said seriously, though the official tone of his voice was ruined by Hiori clobbering him with an enormous hug. Rangiku smiled mischievously as she watched Toshiro struggle in Hiori's iron grip, finally shaking her off before glaring up at her. The threatening look he was giving her, however, just couldn't be taken seriously due to their some two foot height difference.

"Oi, Hiori!" Renji called, leaning up against the door. Hiori frowned, turning to face her male doppelganger with a horrible expression on her face, which caused Renji to recoil immediately. "What the hell?"

"Why do you have to be here, too?" she grumbled, pointing at him in an accusing manner. "I don't like you."

"I don't like you either, problem solved."

"It'd be even more solved if you'd just leave," she retorted, glaring at him angrily as she ignored the curious stares of the rest of her class.

"RENJI?" Ichigo yelled from his desk, a look of surprise contorting his face, and the volume of his voice made Hiori jump slightly. "Ikkaku? Yumichika? Rangiku-san? And Toshiro!" he cried, making his way over to them and staring down at the white haired boy in pure astonishment. Hiori's icy glare was ignored, though Toshiro seemed completely unfazed by Ichigo's sudden outburst.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you."

"You know, if you make us call you that people will think we're in the Yakuza," Hiori pointed out, but Toshiro just shrugged it off. "Can't I call you _Otouto-chan_?" Toshiro blanched, averting his eyes from Ichigo to glare up at his sister.

"Absolutely... Not..." he choked out, eyeing Hiori as if she were mentally unstable.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ichigo asked, interrupting the somewhat hysterical brother-sister moment between the two Hitsugayas, earning himself a glare from the both of them. Honestly, Hiori had been expecting some sort of grand apology, but so far she had gotten no such luck, and she refused to back down on glaring at him until she got what she wanted.

"It's an order," Renji explained. "To prepare for-"

"Those creepy fucks with Hollow Holes and Zanpakutos, right?" Hiori interjected, meeting Renji's eyes as he nodded. "Figures."

"Yeah. They said to prepare for a direct confrontation with the Arrancar." he explained. Both Hiori and Ichigo gave him confused glances, though Hiori resisted the urge to meet Ichigo's eyes.

"What's an Arr-whatever you said?" Ichigo asked, and Renji made a face.

"You didn't know what they were and you just started fighting?" he asked furiously, waving his arms around unnecessarily and nearly hitting Hiori in the jaw.

"Dumbass, they're the ones who kicked your ass a few days ago."

"Yeah, that was pretty bad." Hiori said snidely, glaring over in Ichigo's direction, arms folded, expression icy. Toshiro's eyes traveled back and forth between Ichigo and Hiori briefly, but he decided to let the subject drop for now. He could always ask Hiori about it at a later time. "Wait... Who said that?" Hiori asked, glancing around the room for the source of the voice. Finally, her eyes fell on fingers grasping the window sill, and she watched, wide eyed, as Rukia suddenly appeared in the window.

"Rukia..." Ichigo gasped, and Hiori's eyes widened.

"Long time no see, Ichigo."

* * *

><p>Hiori had to admit, jumping through a window, beating up Ichigo and then leaping back out of the window was an interesting first impression to make on someone's first day of High school. Rukia's reaction didn't seem to come as a surprise to anyone else, though, as they all seemed completely unfazed as they watched her drag Ichigo out of the window in his Shinigami form. Rangiku sighed dramatically.<p>

"She acted just as we guessed,"

"Yeah... Those two are trouble makers." Renji concluded, as he was left holding Ichigo's now lifeless body in his arms. Hiori rolled her eyes.

"Well, who wouldn't after seeing that pathetic sad face?" Ikkaku muttered, and Hiori couldn't help but snort in response. It was entirely true- Ichigo had been donning the same gloomy expression every time she had seen him since their run in with the Arrancars, and she had to admit, it was getting old fast.

"I dunno, sometimes gloomy can be so attractive!" Rangiku replied sweetly, and both Toshiro and Hiori scoffed.

"Gloom is one thing, self-pity and guilt is another." Hiori replied, peering over her shoulder to look at her brother's big breasted accomplice. "He's been like that since the Arrancars. It's getting fuckin' ridiculous,"

"Woah, that's some serious language you're spoutin' Hitsugaya," Renji teased, grinning crookedly down at her. Hiori stuck out her tongue in reply, earning herself a look from her brother.

"Whatever, he needs to get over it fast," she continued, ignoring the gossip-filled chatter that was now circulating the classroom. "Now's the worst time ever to be sulking."

"Or not speaking," Renji added, eyeing Hiori pointedly.

"What are you talking about?" she muttered quietly, though it was obvious that she wasn't meeting Renji's eyes. Toshiro folded his arms seriously, staring up at his sister in an attempt to force the information out of her with words only.

"What, you thought we wouldn't pick up on it?" he asked, and Hiori frowned. Actually, she had been counting on it.

"Spill it, Hiori," She shrugged, acting as if it was no big deal.

"We had a fight about the Arrancars." she replied simply, ignoring the fact the Renji and Toshiro exchanged disbelieving glances. "That's it."

"Uh huh." Renji replied sarcastically, placing a hand on his hip.

"... He said some things he shouldn't have. Forget it. It's not a problem."

"It's a problem if you two aren't on speaking terms," Toshiro corrected, looking up at his sister seriously. Hiori could see how Toshiro had become a Captain so young- He was good with persuasion. "Of your group, you two are the strongest. We can't have the strongest fighters in a lover's quarrel right now."

"A lovers _what_?" she repeated, outrage evident in her voice. Renji sniggered loudly, to which Hiori responded with a heavy blow to his shoulder. As silence ensued, the quiet chatter of the students made its way to their ears.

"Did Kurosaki faint or something?"

"Damn, d'you think he's dead?"

"They're definitely dangerous people... And they dye their hair!" Toshiro, Hiori and Renji all made faces at this comment, knowing that this was no doubt directed at them.

"Don't mind them, they're just babbling humans." Ikkaku said calmly, hands in his pockets. The two redheads sent heated glares in his direction, which he ignored.

"He has a tattoo!" another student said, and it was no Hiori's turn to snigger, which Renji used as an excuse to return her punch.

"That guy's carrying a wooden sword."

"Blonde... Silver... Bald..."

"Bald guy..."

"Alright!" Ikkaku growled, gripping his wooden sword menacingly as he rounded on the class. "Those two who said bald come out now and face me!" Renji and Hiori exchanged glances.

"Don't worry, Ikkaku, they're just babbling humans." Renji cooed.

"Shut up! I'm going to chop them in half!"

"Count me in, Ikkaku!" Yumichika said loudly. Hiori glanced down, realizing that her brother's mood was rapidly deteriorating.

"Somebody, trade places with me, please." he murmured tiredly, veins popping out of his forehead as he got more and more stressed. Hiori smiled, patting his on the top of his head.

"I love ya, Otouto-chan." Toshiro flinched angrily, glowering up at his older sister venomously, his body rigid from stress.

"God, I hate you so much right now."

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><p>Despite his prior vows of hatred, it seemed that Toshiro's only solace could be found by following his sister out of the classroom. Hiori smiled triumphantly down at him, though he ignored her gloating expression as best he could. Compared to the ruckus the group had created back in the classroom, the halls were eerily quiet, which seemed to calm Toshiro down a considerable amount.<p>

Hiori opened the doors, stepping onto the outdoor pathway that connected two of the high school's buildings. She froze, instantly regretting her choice of direction. In front of her stood Ichigo, Orihime and Rukia, and all three pairs of eyes were now set only on her. She attempted to smile, but it ended up more as a nervous grimace as she neared the group, Toshiro hot on her heels. She was sure that he was watching her every move, and what he had said about her and Ichigo was still floating in the back of her mind.

"Hey there, Hiori," Rukia said cheerfully, patting her on the back. "Long time no see."

"... Not that long..." she replied, earning her an elbow in the ribs from her brother. "Ah... yeah, good to see you I mean." Hiori's eyes traveled to her right, where Ichigo was breathing heavily, as if he had just sprinted here. She arched an eyebrow, making to ask what was with the tiredness, but Orihime beat her to it.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"Inoue... I-" Rukia's hand found the back of his neck, forcing him into a low and hugely humiliating bow at Orihime's feet. Hiori's eyebrow twitched. Who the hell did Rukia think she was?

"He's sorry for being so weak!" she exclaimed wildly, which only caused Hiori's already horrible mood to increase ten fold.

"... I'll get stronger... And then... Next time, I'll be able to protect you!" Toshiro's eyes glanced downwards, watching as his sisters fists clenched in anger. Hiori forced back angry tears, biting her tongue with all her might to keep from speaking. It stung from when she had bitten it during her fight with Ulquiorra, but she didn't care. Anything was better than having to watch something like this. Where was her apology? Did she not matter? Maybe it was selfish, but she couldn't help but be angry with Orihime for getting an apology.

"... So you know about the Hollow, then, Rukia?" Hiori murmured darkly, her hair falling in her eyes and casting shadows on her face. Both Ichigo and Rukia looked in her direction, surprise painting their features.

"Well... Yes. I do." she replied, her arms still folded seriously. Hiori's hands twitched. "He can beat it. He just has to get strong-"

"What do you know?" Hiori spat. Toshiro's eyes widened as anger washed off of Hiori in waves, and her hostility did not go unmissed by anyone present. Rukia's eyes widened, unfolding her arms and stepping closer to her.

"What are yo-"

"I asked, what do you know?" she repeated, looking her dead in the eyes. "You stand there, and force him to bow to a girl who should have been able to protect herself! And then you just say it's as simple as getting stronger, as if you understand?"

"Hiori, Ichigo needs to-"

"_No._" Hiori hissed. Ichigo was gazing at her, wide eyed, as was Orihime. The smile that she had been wearing after Ichigo's apology had vanished, replaced by a look of pure horror. "I think you need to take a good, long look at what you're doing, Rukia. Yeah, people got hurt. It's not a good thing. Ichigo wants to protect his friends- Good for him. But he shouldn't be apologizing for being_ weak_. That's what she should be apologizing for." she said bitterly, pointing her finger directly at Orihime, who's eyes widened in confusion. "If you could protect yourself at all, you wouldn't be hurt, and Ichigo wouldn't be wearing that pathetic expression all the time. Maybe you should all take a good look at yourselves, instead of at Ichigo."

"Hiori, stop this." Rukia said darkly, walking towards her as if challenging her. Hiori scoffed, staring down at the dark haired girl who was more than a head shorter than her.

"No, _you_ stop this." she spat furiously, meeting Rukia in the middle, their shoes practically touching. "Stop acting like you understand-"

"It's my problem, Hiori," Ichigo interjected quickly, a frustrated look in his eyes. Hiori's eyes widened- Why was he frustrated with her? All she was doing was standing up for herself, and for him, and this is what she got? "It has nothing to do with you!"

"It has everything to do with me!" she cried, pushing past Rukia and coming nose-to-nose with Ichigo, who flinched slightly with the sudden contact. "It has everything to do with me because I know exactly what you're going through! I know it's not easy, and I know how hard it is to keep that Hollow in check!" Ichigo's eyes widened, and a small 'eep' noise escaped Orihime's lips.

"Hiori, what-"

"I know because I'm the same as you," she whispered, the anger in her voice still evident, though not as strong. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise as he stared into her eyes, as if waiting for the Hollow itself to appear. "I know how hard it is to fight and protect others when all you can see is that Hollow trying to take your body from you! So if anyone has a right to make you bow in front of Orihime, it's me, because I actually understand. But that's not the way I think things should go."

"Hiori-chan, I'm so sorry..." Orhime whispered. The redhead's attention swiftly snapped to her, stormy eyes glaring daggers in her direction.

"Oh, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to!" she yelled, gripping Ichigo's shoulder roughly and turning him to face Orihime despite his protests. "You should be apologizing to him! He nearly died trying to keep that thing from killing you, and you're making him apologize for that?"

"I didn't think-"

"You should be strong enough by now to at least protect yourself, Orihime! It can't always be up to Ichigo- Can't you underst-" Hiori's words were cut short by a loud clap, and a sudden stinging sensation in her cheek. Rukia's furious face was inches from her, and she was most likely standing on her tip toes. Hiori slowly brought her fingers to her cheek, touching it briefly as it continued to tingle from Rukia's harsh slap.

"I think that's enough, Hiori," she whispered, her voice shaking with rage. "When Nii-sama told me how you used to be, I didn't believe him... But now, I think I can make that connection." Hiori's eyes widened. By her side, Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the younger Kuchiki, though he said nothing.

"Hiori..." Ichigo muttered, stepping out of her grip. "I didn't know... About the Hollow. Sorry."

"That's all you're sorry for?" she murmured. The next second, however, she let out a low chuckle, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand as the angry tears finally spilled over. "How ironic. I just made a huge speech about you not apologizing, and here I am asking for you to... I really am a hypocrite." Ichigo gazed down at her, his eyes softening as he reached out to her, but she flinched away, stepping behind Toshiro, whose gaze was now locked on Ichigo.

"I didn't want to do it, Hiori," Rukia said calmly, lowering her hand. "I needed to calm you down." Letting out a bitter laugh, Hiori turned away from them, starting back towards the high school at a slow pace. Toshiro followed her, glancing back at the three students before turning back towards his sister.

"Yeah..." she replied as she opened the doors. "I get it."

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><p><strong>THIS CHAPTER WAS SO DEPRESSING TO WRITE. You guys don't even know. But this marks a turning point for Hiori in this arc- And don't worry, I promise they'll make up. But this series of fights and arguments will set off something in Hiori that is necessary for the arc to move forward, and it'll also end up progressing the HioIchi relationship- YES. You heard right. Ichigo won the poll, and now that I read some of the reviewsPMs, I think it's for the best.**

**animelove/raven: Your reviews never fail to make me laugh! Reading your review made me realize that HioIchi is definitely the right way to go, I shouldn't have questioned it! Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**bluefox/kira: Again, thanks so much for letting me use your OC! I'm pretty sure that after this chapter, she'll make a few more appearances, so look forward to it!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and don't forget to review this chapter! Thanks so much!**


	36. Part 3: The Hellfire Discord

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><p><em>"We fear what does not exist."<em>

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><p>It was just one of those days when it felt like everything in the world was against her. No matter how hard she tried, Hiori couldn't shake the awful, gnawing feeling in the put of her stomach. It was something like a mixture of guilt, anger, sadness and betrayal. Why had they all turned on her? How could Rukia and Ichigo have said those things... And how could Rukia have <em>slapped<em> her. Her fingers once again grazed the cheek, where the feel of Rukia's hand still stung like pins and needles.

That wasn't the only thing bothering Hiori, though. Coupled with this horrible feeling deep within her was a strange smell on the wind. It smelled of Hollow, but something was off. She was fairly certain that it was the smell of 'Arrancar', though knowing this didn't really help to ease her nervousness.

After her the awful incident with Ichigo, Rukia and Orihime, Hiori had left school, deciding it would be better to just skip class altogether rather than to grin and bear it for the rest of the day. She had told Toshiro to meet her at Urahara's later, and she was certain that Urahara would allow Toshiro to stay with them during the duration of his visit to the human world.

As Hiori rounded the corner, a sudden pang in her chest hit her full force, causing her to double over and clutch desperately at her head. The pain increased drastically, then dulled. She made to stand up again, but before she could straighten her back fully, she was forced to double over again as the pain came crashing back down on her- Hard.

'Sorry about this,' said a voice inside her head, the echoing of it only adding to the pain. 'But it's time.' Then Hiori let her eyes slide shut.

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><p><em>"It's good to see you again, Vessel." <em>A sudden head rush brought Hiori spiraling down into her inner world. Around her were the usual rock walls and gravely ground. Her feet shifted in the dirt, raising tan colored dust into the air despite the lack of air flow. _"That's a nice looking Zanpakuto you've got there."_ Glancing to her right, Hiori was astonished to find Jairo standing right next to her. She knew that she shouldn't have been surprised, but with Hollow here, she had almost expected to see- _"Aren't you going to say hello to Ama-chan?"_

"What?" she breathed, doing an enormous double take when her eyes fell on the one and only Amaterasu, whose piercing blue eyes were set on her, regarding her icily from his place beside Hollow. "Amaterasu...? How did you-"

_"Ama-chan is here because I want him to be,"_ Hollow explained. Hiori and Jairo exchanged glances, and Hiori was sure that her face was clearly displaying her nervousness. _"It's time to figure it out."_

"Figure what out?"

_"Who lives, and who dies, of course." _she explained. Hollow reached behind her back, and a low hum suddenly met Hiori's ears as she withdrew Amaterasu's sword form from its sheath. _"Somehow, I think I'll be the one left standing."_

"You just keep thinking that." Hiori replied darkly, drawing Jairo from his sheath on her belt loop. It was strange how different she and Hollow looked now. Hollow was still wearing her white shihakushou, and her bright blue eyes greatly contrasting her own stormy gray ones. "Because I'm pretty sure that fire melts ice, you know?"

The next second, an enormous burst of Reiatsu washed off of Hollow, and she was nearly pushed back by the force with which she released her Zanpakuto. The familiar Shikai form of Amaterasu was now pointed directly at her chest. Hiori's lips were set in a hard line, and she narrowed her eyes at the pointed tip- There was nothing for it.

"**_Consume or Purify, Jairo._**"

It was now Hollow's turn to be pushed backwards, and her eyes widened in surprise, gazing in astonishment at Hiori's new found Shikai. The bamboo bead clicked together noisily, making up for the lack of humming normally generated from Amaterasu.

_"Even if you've got that, you don't have a lot of time." _Hollow threatened, a triumphant smirk once again decorating her features. _"Even while we sit here, your body is being consumed by me."_ Hiori wondered for a moment what she meant, but the next second she could see it for herself. She didn't know how she could see it, but somehow her eyes saw clearly just what it was that was happening to her body, and her heart nearly stopped.

Her skin was slowly being covered with a white exoskeleton, and with horror, Hiori realized that it was the same material that covered Hollows. Her face was rapidly being covered by a mask; The deep black eyes on the mask were about twice the size of her own, and prong-like bones jutted out all around the edge of the mask, sliding backwards and meshing with her hair as it continued to coat her body. It was like a lion's mane, just not as fluffy.

"What are you doing?"

_"You're going to become a real Hollow if you don't hurry." _was all she said in reply, once again raising her sword. Hiori bit back her fear, gripping the stone poll of her Shikai and raising it to meet Hollow's. This was it- It had to be. This was the last battle. The deciding factor in her fate... Either she would win, and Hollow would leave, or she would win, and she would be free. _"Your move."_

Not stopping to think or strategize, Hiori crouched low and sent the tip of her Zanpakuto straight for Hollow's stomach, which she dodged easily and countered with a heavy blow to the head with the blunt side of Amaterasu. Beside them, Hiori could barely see Amaterasu and Jairo were also exchanging blows, ice and fire melding together in a deadly dance for dominance within her inner world.

_"Is that it, Ves-_" Hiori cut off her words by taking another swipe at her stomach, stabbing at her face as she dodged. Hollow continued to dodge with ease, her ice blue eyes laughing at her as they fought. They continued on like this for longer than Hiori could keep track of, each throwing blows but neither of them ever seeming to be able to land a decent hit. They were twirling and spinning and ducking, and Hiori soon found that instead of a fight, it was really more of a dance.

"Stop this!" Hiori growled, shooting backwards in a crouching position as she pushed away from Hollow, who was now breathing a little heavier than normal. She smirked, chuckling darkly as she righted herself. "You're just wasting time!"

_"Don't try and pin this all on me, it's Vessel-chan who can't seem to get a decent hit." _she taunted, flaunting her skills by throwing Amaterasu into the air several times and catching the hilt in the palm of her hand. _"At this rate, the body will be mine."_

"No," Hiori whispered, twisting through the air and jutting her Zanpakuto through the air. The motion was too swift for Hollow to react to, and she suddenly found herself bleeding profusely from the side of her face. Hiori's deadly gray eyes stared up at her from crouching position, and the smirk slid off of Hollow's face like melting butter. "This was my body first, and it'll stay mine as long as I'm here." she murmured, and she dropped to the ground on one hand, swinging around and sweeping Hollow's feet out from under her with her legs. Hollow gasped, hitting the ground with a loud 'thud', which knocked the wind out of her.

Straightening up, Hiori walked over to where Hollow now lay, grabbing her roughly by the collar and lifting her to her feet, only so that she could punch her hard in the face and allow her to fall to the ground once again. Hollow grimaced, hitting the ground once again, her pure white face now covered with crimson blood.

"What's wrong, Hollow?" Hiori simpered, bending back down to lift her up again. A feral snarl ripped from Hollow's lips as she brought her foot straight up, hitting Hiori full in the face and sending her back into the rock walls behind her. With a resounding crack, a chunk of rock fell from the walls, allowing room for the demonic energy just beyond it to seep in.

_"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _you_?" _Hollow retorted. She wiped the blood from her face, staining the sleeves of her shihakushou, though not really caring. The oozing black liquid pooled around her feet, climbing up her body like ivy on a brick wall. _"Don't get so cocky just because you landed a few hits- I am your power, Hiori, how can you ever expect to truly beat me?"_

"Maybe I can't beat you, but I can still get rid of you!" Hiori yelled before lunging forwards, nimbly dodging spears of demonic energy. Her fist snapped forwards, making contact with Hollow's nose with a sickening snap as it sent her flying backwards and into the opposite wall. Even more demonic energy seeped inside, and the dark liquid-like energy continued to coat Hollow's body. Hiori was beginning to feel that she had a severe disadvantage. Hollow's head snapped up, a maniacal expression contorting her face.

_"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY!"_ she screeched. The next thing Hiori knew, she had been swept off her feet, held in the black arms of the demonic energy that was now flooding into her inner world at a surprising rate. It crushed her limbs and cracked her ribs, and a small groan of pain escaped her throat as she spat up a good amount of blood. _"What's wrong, Hiori? CAN'T TAKE IT? ARE YOU GONNA DIE?" _she screamed, horrible screeching laughter ripping from her throat as if she were screaming. Hiori desperately wanted to plug her ears, but she couldn't shake free of the energy arms. _"Learn your place, Vessel. This is my world, and it's my power, so it's my body! Learn to-"_

"Learn to know when to shut the fuck up!" Hiori roared, an enormous burst of blue flames surrounding her body and burning through the black liquid gripping her. Hollow screamed, the sound bouncing off of the crumbling walls, her eyes wide in pain and anger. "_Your_ body?_ Your_ power? Get real!" she bellowed, and the next second she was in the air, bringing her legs up around her before pelting down towards Hollow. Her feet made painful contact with Hollow's face, a loud cracking noise filling Hiori's ears and she broke her nose and cracked the bones in her shoulder.

Shifting positions in the air, Hiori reached out her free hand, doing a sort of one-handed hand stand and kicking Hollow under the chin. Hollow's neck twisted into a horrible looking angle as she fell backwards, the demonic energy pooling behind her in an attempt to cushion her fall. Hiori watched carefully, positive that she had broken Hollow's neck. But much to her dismay the girl stood up once again, her head still dangling at a strange angle, and appearing to be held up by the demon liquid. It was forming a strange sort of shroud around her, squirming its way into her mouth and nose, filling Hollow's eyes.

The ice blue had been replaced by a deep purplish black color, which gazed at Hiori curiously. Hiori's breath caught in her throat as she watched the demonic energy stretch Hollow's face into an impossible sneer, baring her pointed teeth in a way that Hiori had never thought to be possible. A moment later, an echoing voice filled her now completely dark subconscious- It was a voice that she did not recognize... It was the voice of a Hollow.

**"You actually thought you could defeat me so easily?"** it snickered, and the sound alone sent goosebumps crawling up Hiori's spine. **"That girl is merely a form that my energy takes. I am something far greater than you can even comprehend, Vessel. So unless you wish to die-"**

"Hiori!" Her head snapped to her right, falling on Jairo where he stood, holding a limp and lifeless Amaterasu in his arms. The small specks of blue that had previously inhabited his eyes had disappeared, and her heart skipped a beat- They were winning. The Hollow was only toying with her. "Hiori, just do what I tell you!" he called, and suddenly he vanished, leaving Hiori in the middle of her dark energy-filled subconscious. She breathed in, lifting her Zanpakuto upwards, though she wasn't really sure what she was doing. She had no clue what she was about to say, much less do, and the Hollow knew it- She could hear him laughing.

_**"El fuego del infierno*!" **_Hiori gritted her teeth with effort as she spoke, her grip on her Zanpakuto increasing as it rocked with the power coursing through it. Crimson flames flooded forth from the grooves in the stone pole, washing over her fingers but never burning her. The flames darted all around her, covering the black energy and melting it with a single touch. The Hollow screamed, and Hiori's gray eyes widened- This power, whatever it was, was fighting her Hollow.

"Now Hiori!" It was Jairo who had yelled; Without knowing what she was doing, Hiori thrust her Zanpakuto forward, piercing the blackness in front of her. An ear splitting scream broke through the sound of crackling flames, and the pure white girl that she had always associated with her inner Hollow was rejected from the black around her, the Zanpakuto sticking straight out of her chest.

"I... Is she-" Hollow's eyes opened, and she let out yet another terrible scream as the black energy around her swept into her wide open mouth, as if she were swallowing it. Hiori watched, completely awe struck, as the black around her vanished. Around her now was a pristine field of wheat, gray rocky mountains surrounding the field on all sides. She had seen this place before, but only in her memories... _This _was her true inner world.

Only one thing seemed to have changed. In the center of the field stood an enormous tree, the twisted branches reaching far out into the wheat field. Dull green leaves dotted the branches, and they blew in the slight breeze; A small smile tugged on Hiori's lips. There was a _breeze_. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat behind her, and she whirled around, only to come face to face with Jairo, who was smiling down at her now.

"You did good, kid," he said fondly, placing the palm of his hand on the top of her head possessively. Hiori beamed up at him, clutching her Zanpakuto in her hands close to her chest.

"Is she gone?" she whispered, glancing around her now stable inner world. Not to sound braggy, but it was the most beautiful place that she had ever seen in her life. The golden wheat swayed in the wind, and the cliffs surrounding the field kept the temperature cool and the weather calm. Jairo cast her a sad smile, nodding in the direction of the tree as if that would answer all of her questions. "The tree...?"

"That's where she is now." he explained, his burgundy eyes gazing at the gnarled and knotted branches of the ancient looking tree.

"... But she won't come back..." she murmured, continuing to gaze up at her Zanpakuto Spirit. His expression flickered, and Hiori's face fell. "She will?"

"Can't you see it?" he whispered, and he kept staring at the tree as if any minute it would spring to life. Hiori followed his gaze. Her eyes finally fell on a single leaf, which had turned black, shriveled, and fallen to the ground. She shivered. "Already, it's begun to whither... And die..."

"So I'll have to fight her again."

"And again, and again, and again," he said somberly, nodding his head. Hiori's gray eyes saddened, but Jairo seemed unfazed by this horrible news. "It'll get easier, though."

"... I hope so."

"Ah... And you should prepare yourself." he said suddenly, finally meeting her eyes. Hiori could tell he was serious, but she didn't quite understand why. Placing both hands firmly on her shoulders, he shook her, as if trying to wake a sleeping person. "When you get back, you'll be very different."

"What?" she said swiftly, struggling to hold on as her vision slid between darkness and clarity. "What do you mean, I'll be different?" she called. Jairo closed his eyes and stepped away from her as she began to disappear once more, waving a small goodbye as she vanished from his view.

"... Very different, indeed."

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><p><strong>**el fuego del infierno: hellfire.<strong>

**This chapter was much shorter, but I wanted it to be exclusively devoted to Hiori's fight with her Hollow.**

**In this chapter, Hiori is drawn into her inner world in a painful way, which ends with her collapsed in an alleyway. She meets her Hollow again, who is now accompanied by Amaterasu for assistance. The two exchange blows while their Zanpakutos fight, and Hiori learns that her body is quickly becoming a Hollow each minute she spend within her inner world.**

**After breaking Hollow's neck, the demonic energy that had seeped in during the destruction of the walls takes over, animating the bod briefly before the walls shatter entirely. We learn that the "Hollow" that Hiori knows is merely a form of the true Hollow, which is basically just the black energy that has been kept out by her rock walls for the whole story.**

**With Jairo's help, Hiori uses one of her Zanpakuto's techniques called "Hellfire" which produces deep red flames, which seems to be able to hurt her Hollow even in its most pure and basic state, which is the black demonic energy. Using this temporary distraction, Hiori blindly stabs into the dark, piercing the chest of Hollow's human form and sealing her Hollow.**

**Her inner world returns to its original state, but Jairo warns her that her Hollow will be back, despite being sealed within the tree for the time being. This is symbolized with the whithering of the leaves on the tree, showing that soon the tree will deteriorate and Hollow will once again be free. Hiori leaves her inner world with cryptic parting words from Jairo, who tells her that she should be prepared for some major changes upon her return.**

**Thank you all for your reviews and the many, many favorites and alerts that I have gotten on this story this week! Thank you loyal reviewers and readers! **


	37. Part 3: Mala Suerte

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><p><em>"Doesn't matter who they are, I'll fuckin' kill 'em all.<em>_"_

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><p>When Hiori finally came to, everything was silent. It was not what Hiori had been expecting when she woke, since she was fairly certain that she had collapsed in an alleyway. Groaning loudly, she pushed herself up, only to realize that she was lying on a bed. Not her bed, but someone else's, since the bed was one that was completely unfamiliar. Hiori blanched.<p>

She was in a stranger's bed.

Not wasting a moment, she leapt out from under the covers, scrambling away from the unfamiliar bed and pressing herself flush against the wall farthest from it. Allowing her breathing to settle, she suddenly found the her skin all over her left side tingled and stung, like she had suffered a severe burn of some sort. Hiori's heart fluttered in panic, briefly considering that maybe the technique that she had used to fight her Hollow in her Inner world had somehow affected her body in the human world. She quickly cast this thought aside, however, upon seeing her limp Gigai propped up in the corner of the room, looking thoroughly unharmed, if not somewhat lifeless.

"Ah." A deep, masculine voice interrupted her thoughts, and her head snapped to her head to her right. Her eyes settled on the owner of the strange voice, squinting to try and discern exactly what he looked like from where he stood in the shadows. "You're awake. That was quick, especially for you."

"Who are you?" Hiori blurted quickly, making sure to force any hint of fear in her voice out. The man 'tsk'ed, stepping forward and into the light so she could get a better look. No sooner had he come into view, Hiori's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Short gray hair, golden ear piercings, and light brown eyes... She knew exactly who this man was. This man was Kensei. "No... Way..." she whispered slowly, continuing to take his appearance in as slowly as possible. It was strange seeing him in front of her- She knew exactly who he was, and yet he was so unfamiliar. The many memories that she had of Kensei weren't really hers... They were Hollow's memories. As far as she was concerned, this man was a total stranger.

"How're you feeling?" he muttered, taking a step closer. Hiori flinched away without thinking, pressing her back even closer to the wall behind her. All she could assume was the it was Kensei who had brought her here... She just didn't understand why. "I'm not going to do anything to you, it's just..."

"Sorry," she murmured quickly, peering up from under her lashes to look at Kensei again. "It's just... I know who you are, but I don't really..." Kensei gave her a questioning look, and she sighed. She figured she should make memos or news letters or something, that way she wouldn't have to be constantly explaining herself to people that she came across who used to know her. "I lost my memories."

"I see," he replied thoughtfully, regarding Hiori with a mixture of confusion, worry and interest. The burning sensation on her skin increased, causing her to wince in pain. She wanted to look at herself and try to figure out just what it was causing it, but she couldn't really be distracted at the moment. "Urahara did mention to us that you may not remember when we left you... I guess that's better for you."

"... How's it better? If anything, it's makes things more difficult." Kensei let out a small, bitter laugh, running his fingers through his hair tiredly before he spoke.

"It's probably better for you if you don't remember the things you did."

"I remember now,"

"I don't think you remember everything," he replied quickly, eyeing her up once more. "Or you'd already be attacking me." With these words, Hiori recoiled. What exactly was he trying to suggest? That she was his enemy? Before she could question him any further, he gestured towards her body. "I tried to treat you before this happened, but I guess I didn't get to you in time."

Finally, Hiori looked down, and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from yelping with surprise. Forgetting the fact that all she seemed to be wearing was her underwear, Hiori's eyes raked over her skin... Or, what had previously been skin. From her collar bone, all the way down to her toes, she found herself covered with what looked like pure white bone. She touched it slowly, hesitating briefly before finally placing her fingertips on it. It seemed that only her left side, at least, had been affected, but it was plenty reason for Hiori to begin to panic.

The strange exoskeleton covered everything from her neck to the toes of her left foot, though it cracked and had broken away in some places, exposing her skin. This was also the case with her hand and fingers, where the bone-like substance had chipped away, only leaving behind pieces that seemed to covered the places above where real bone was located beneath her skin, such as her knuckles. She continued to trace the strange covering, following it all the way up to the base of her jaw, where she stopped.

It was on her face as well.

Kensei gestured to a full length mirror on his left, and Hiori rushed over to it, not really giving a damn that she basically had no clothes on. Back in Soul Society, she was sure that Kensei had seen much more than this, so she figured that he could care less. Ignoring Kensei completely, Hiori stared into the mirror, gray eyes widening with horror as she took in the new appearance of her face.

Her left cheek bone was now covered with the white bone, and the rest that was connected to it looked almost like a mask. The white substance formed what appeared to be extremely sharp teeth, which covered her cheek and ended just before reaching her lips. Suddenly, something else caught her attention, and her eyes followed her new exoskeleton downwards to where her tattoo was which, surprisingly, seemed to have been engraved onto the white bone that now covered the left side of her ribcage. In the center of her tattoo was an enormous hole, through which she could see Kensei, who was standing behind her. Her lips quivered, and Hiori suddenly felt like screaming. She was exactly like _them_. She was an _Arrancar._

"... What th... What the hell is this?" she whispered, tracing around the hole in her side with her fingernails. Kensei's expression flickered, and Hiori saw his hand twitch and get closer to her, but she drew back instantly. "What did you do to me? What is this?"

"I didn't do anything, I found you this way... Worse, actually, it's improved over the last couple hours," he explained, his eyes remaining as calm as possible. "I don't know how you got like this." Hiori bit her lip, guilt washing over her for blaming him so easily. After all, it seemed as though he had greatly improved her condition... Maybe it had been even worse than this beforehand. Her eyes softened as she continued to stare at her body in the mirror.

How had things ended up this way? When Jairo had said that she would be different when she woke up, this was the very last thing that she had been expecting. In fact, this hadn't even been on her list of things to expect. Kensei continued to watch her cautiously, as if she were about to go into a rampage and rip his head off at any moment. Both were silent for a long while, but finally Kensei spoke.

"You're not the same."

"No shit, I mean look at me!" she replied, tracing the mask of teeth that now covered her cheek.

"I mean... You're not like the Hiori I knew." he elaborated, his eyes traveling up her back and finally meeting her eyes in the mirror. "You're not even her anymore, are you?" Hiori paused, peering over her shoulder to meet Kensei's brown eyes. She shook her head slowly, and Kensei sighed.

"... This is too weird." he said monotonously, and Hiori let out a low, barking laugh in reply.

"You're telling me." she said. Suddenly feeling exposed, she glanced around the room, looking for something to put on. Kensei sighed, leaning towards a a table to his left and picking up some light colored cloth. Hiori took it, realizing that it was a pair of pants and a shirt. The top was a white turtle neck with long sleeves, though judging by the looks of it, it was just long enough to cover her ribcage. The pants were tan colored capris, which she slipped on first, and they ended just below her knees. It was covered with various pockets, zippers and strings, to the point where Hiori just thought it was unnecessarily excessive.

"You're so different, but you still call yourself by the same name?" he asked suddenly, and Hiori froze in the middle of putting on her shirt.

"What?"

"It's interesting," Kensei explained, glancing towards the bed and letting his eyes come to rest on Jairo, whose hilt glistened in the low light of the room. "Everything about you is different... It's just strange to me that you continue to go by the same name." Hiori said nothing, merely continued to stare at him as he turned to leave. She made to follow him, but she was stopped by his hand on her shoulder. "The rest of them don't know you're here. They can't know. I don't think they'd have let me bring you here in the first place... You can leave through the window. Here," He held out his hand once again, and she realized that he was holding a dark black hoodie made of cotton. She took it, nodding in thanks as he left.

Then she was alone yet again, her eyes staying on Kensei until he had closed the door and vanished from sight. Her breathing was uneven and shaky, and she once again found herself tracing her pure white exoskeleton unconsciously with her fingertips, shivering slightly as her fingers grazed the skin on her right side, which was completely untouched by the Hollow features that now covered almost the entire left side of her body.

"A new name..." she whispered quietly, once again staring at herself in the mirror. Slowly, she reached for her Zapakuto, holding the blade up to the light briefly. The bright silver edges gleamed, catching the low sunlight that filtered through the window. She held her breath, grabbing her hand in her fist. A loud ripping noise met her ears as she dragged her blade through her hair, lopping off her deep red hair up to her chin. "A new name..." she repeated, and then she leapt from the window, leaving behind her Gigai in Kensei's room.

* * *

><p>She was an Arrancar... It just made absolutely no sense. As Hiori walked briskly over the rooftops of Karakura Town, she continued to tug desperately at the bone like plates covering her skin; Each time she did so, however, a searing pain ripped through her body. Pulling and prying was useless- It was like there was no more skin beneath the exoskeleton. It had now become a permanent part of her body, one way or another, and it didn't seem like there was any way to get rid of it. The most unsettling part to her, though, was the fact that there was an enormous hole in her side, a permanent reminder that she was and always would be partly Hollow.<p>

She didn't know just how things had come to this. There was no clear explanation for what had happened to her- None that she could immediately think of, anyways. Sighing heavily, she slumped onto the roof that she stood on, staring out blankly over Karakura Town, which was now cloaked in darkness. She shivered, drawing the hoodie that Kensei had given her around her body, pulling the hood up over her head. At least this way, people couldn't easily see the exoskeleton that now plagued her body. That's just what it was, she thought... It was a sickness. That had to be it.

What would Toshiro say when she saw her? What about Ichigo and Rukia... Any of the other Shinigamis from Soul Society, for that matter. How would they react? Would they kill her on sight? After all, she looked the part of the enemy, now, more so than she ever wanted to admit. Right down to the decently sized Hollow Hole in her side, through which she was sure that, if she were able to look through it, she would be able to see the starless sky behind her.

A sudden crash caused her to jump, her gray eyes snapping to the dark skies in front of her. A heavy Reiatsu hung in the air, but somehow, it seemed to simply wash over her like a light wind instead of crashing down on her as it normally did. She could tell that the Reiatsu was impressive, far greater than most of that of Rukia's or Ichigo's, but somehow it just wasn't affecting her body like it used to. Glancing down at her bone-covered arm, she touched her white exoskeleton once more... Maybe that was the reason why the Reiatsu felt different. She wondered briefly if this made her Reiatsu feel differently. Only time would tell.

Yet another loud crash rippled through the air, making its way to her ears and piercing the silence that had, moments previously, been so calming. A loud yell met her ears seconds later, and she twitched slightly at the noise; She knew that voice. That was definitely Ichigo. As if to prove her theory, an enormous burst of dark energy rose from the center of town- Her eyes widened. She could see someone... No, something.

It was an Arrancar.

The redhead sighed heavily, groaning slightly as she pushed herself upright. Inside her head, she could feel Ichigo's Reiatsu flickering feebly; He was quickly loosing control of his body. His Hollow was back. Placing Jairo in her belt loop, she pulled the black hood of her jacket farther over her face, shielding her features from the rest of the world. Nobody had to know. None of her friends needed to know the truth- That she had turned into the enemy. With one final sigh, she stepped from the building, and a sudden static, booming noise met her ears as she sped off through the air.

"What is this?" she whispered, staring down at her body as she continued to move through the air at a breakneck pace, the static noise following her wherever she went.

'Sonído,' Jairo murmured within her head, and her eyes widened. What the hell was Sonído? 'It's the Arrancar version of Shunpo.' he explained before his voice vanished once again, leaving her flying through the air by herself once more.

"That sort of technique... It wasn't in Ulquiorra's report..." said a gruff voice, and her eyes snapped upwards. The Arrancar that she had seen earlier was now several yards in front of her, his back to her as she came to a halt behind him. She gasped- Whatever it was, this Sonído worked much easier and was way quicker than Shunpo. "Shingami..."

"Did that end your disappointment, Arrancar?" Her heart fluttered, and her eyes looked downward to stare at Ichigo as she drew her hood even closer to her head. Is that how he would address her once he found out? Would she cease to be his friend, and simply be 'Arrancar'? Ichigo reached upwards, grasping his head with his hand, and she felt his Rieatsu flicker once again. The Arrancar in front of her jumped back and forth on his feet, as if preparing for a jump. She blinked, only to find that he had already vanished, and was now speeding downwards in Ichigo's direction.

Ichigo brought Zangetsu in front of his face, preparing for another Getsuga Tenshou, but he was stopped with a rough kick to the face from the blue haired man. The force sent him stumbling backwards, hitting the ground and rolling for several yards before finally crashing into a light pole. From her place above the fight, the redhead grimaced. This wasn't going well. The Arrancar didn't even hesitate, putting his hands in his pockets before walking briskly in Ichigo's direction. She shook her head- There was nothing for it.

"Hey, asshole," she called, and no sooner had she thought to move she was there, as if Sonído was instinctual rather than something that she had to practice. The Arrancar paused, a loud 'tch' noise escaping his throat for being disturbed. His expression quickly changed as soon as he saw just who- Or what- had said it. In a blur of fists, she tackled the blue haired Arrancar, her bone-covered fist making heavy contact with the side of his face. It was only after she had hit him did she realize that the exoskeleton on his face greatly resembled her own.

The force of her punch sent him rolling backwards, stopping only when his back finally made contact with a building. Groaning loudly, the man pushed himself back up, wiping dark red blood from the corners of his mouth. Despite the enormous bruise now forming on his skin, the man's mouth turned upwards in a feral sneer.

"And who the fuck're you?" he bellowed, slurring his words in an odd sort of way. She fell back on her feet, lifting her arms in a fighting stance in case he decided to use Sonído to come after her. His eyes continued to travel over her body, looking for some clue as to who she was. Finally, his eyes fell on her left hand, where the white structures of her Hollow bones were clearly visible. He arched an eyebrow. "Arrancar?"

"Maybe," she replied. Deciding to abandon being on the defensive, she used Sonído once again, the static noise reaching her ears once again as she rushed forwards. The man dodged her punch, grabbing her arm and flipping her over. Now on her back, she lifted her leg, bringing it up to kick him roughly in the chest and sending him flying back once more. He snickered, stretching his arms as he straightened up again to look at her.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about!" he laughed, glancing over his shoulder to look at Ichigo, who was still struggling to stand. "Y'see this, Shinigami? THIS IS WHAT I'M FUCKIN' TALKIN' ABOUT!" Then he let out an enormous roar, lunging for the mysterious girl in front of him. She dodged easily, marveling at her own dexterity as he went shooting past her. With that speed and strength, she never would have been able to dodge it if she were still just an ordinary Shinigami. "Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

"Sorry, I don't have a name yet." she replied darkly, ignoring Ichigo as he spat up a good amount of blood. Grimmjow cocked his head with confusion, which she quickly fixed by socking him hard in the jaw. Instead of making him angry or upset, Grimmjow simply laughed. She arched an eyebrow- What the hell was wrong with this guy?

"Finally! Someone fuckin' worth killin'!" he yelled, reaching for his Zanpakuto. Her eyes narrowed, reaching for the hilt of her own Zanpakuto in response. They were stopped, however, by a man that she recognized... Tousen had appeared behind Grimmjow.

"Sheath you sword, Grimmjow," he murmured darkly, his eyes falling on her briefly before he continued. "That's an order."

"Tousen!" he growled, glaring over his shoulder at the dark skinned former Captain. "What the hell're you doin' here?"

"What...? Do you really not understand? Taking it upon yourself to invade the living world, mobilizing five Arrancar without permission, and attacking Shinigami. It was all against orders. You understand, right? Aizen-sama is furious with you, Grimmjow," Tousen's eyes roamed over her body once more, pausing momentarily on her hand, before turning away from her and Grimmjow. "We're going, your punishment will be decided in Hueco Mundo."

"... Shit." Grimmjow mumbled, meeting his opponent's eyes briefly before turning away.

"Wait!" Ichigo bellowed, drawing all attention towards him for the first time in several minutes. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Shut up," Grimmjow muttered. The sky in front of him ripped open, and she watched as the bright light of Hueco Mundo filtered into the living world. "I'm goin' back to Hueco Mundo... 'Sides, I wasn't fighting you." His gaze returned to the girl in the black jacket, regarding her with a mixture of amusement and awe. "Arrancar... I'll be back."

"Stop fucking around!" Ichigo bellowed, glowering up at the sky. "You come and attack us, and when you feel like it, you just leave? Stop joking around and come down here! Our fight isn't over!"

"Our fight isn't over?" Grimmjow repeated, glancing over his shoulder. "_You_ stop fucking around. This... Girl and unfinished fight spared your fuckin' life, Shinigami. That technique you used hurts you, too. I can tell by just lookin' at ya. Even if you could keep firing those all day, you still wouldn't be able to beat me in my Released form."

"Released... Form?" Ichigo breathed. The girl also raised her eyes, gazing upwards at Grimmjow with astonishment. Release? What was that? If it was an Arrancar technique... Did that mean she had it, too?

"Don't forget my name... Either of ya." he warned, turning and walking into Hueco Mundo. "And pray that you don't hear it a second time, Shinigami. The next time you hear it, Shinigami, it will be your last." And with those last words, the sky closed behind him. She narrowed her eyes at the place where he had disappeared.

"Dammit..." Ichigo choked out. She whipped around, watching as he fell face first into the ground. She ran over, crouching beside him and listened to his unstable breathing.

"...Ichi-" she paused, crying out as a sharp pain shot through her skull. Clutching her head in pain, she doubled over, eyes wide. "W-what the-"

'Do you want to hear it now, Wielder?' Jairo asked softly, his voice echoing through her mind louder than it had ever been before.

"Stop it!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she writhed in pain.

'I'll give it to you...' he murmured. She gasped, feeling some sort of strange energy welling up inside her. 'Your name.'

"What are say-"

'Wielder... Your name is **Leona**.'

* * *

><p><strong>In this chapter, Hiori has her first encounter with Kensei as the "new her", which Kensei immediately picks up on, saying that she is no longer "Hiori" and is instead and entirely different person. He also states that he wonders why she even bothers to continue calling herself "Hiori", since there seems to be nothing left of the Hiori he knew within her. This also seems to provide a reason for why Jairo keeps calling her "Wielder" instead of "Hiori".<strong>

**After leaving Kensei at the Vizard base, Hioria wanders around town deliberating her new predicament- It seems that, during her fight with her Hollow, some of her Hollowfication did not wear off, and instead became a part of her, so that she now resembles something like an Arrancar. She sees Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow, and unconsciously uses Sonído to get over there as quickly as possible. This indicates that she truly is an Arrancar, since Sonído is something that comes instinctually to Arrancar only.**

**After a brief fight with Grimmjow, he is collected by Tousen, though he shows a great deal of interest in Hiori, even though Ichigo is yelling at him about leaving. Once he leaves, Hiori goes to help Ichigo but is stopped by an enormous pain in her head. During this time, Jairo speaks to her, and finally tells her her "real" name.**

***Leona: Latin for "Lion", the feminine version of Leon.**

**In other news, I've decided that Hiori's- Or, now, Leona's- theme songs are All the Things She Said (t.A.T.u.) and Bloody Mary (Lady Gaga), since those are the two songs that I always seem to want to listen to when I'm writing. **

**Thank you all for the reviews- I finally got past 100! I was so excited! It really means a lot to have all of my readers showing me their support with reviews/alerts/favorites. **


	38. Part 3: La Nuevo León

_..._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_That voice that pierces my chest so deeply, __resembles a never-ending cry of ecstasy.__" _

* * *

><p>She just didn't get it.<p>

Why was it that, during the time span of a single day, all of the most horrible things that could have possibly happened to her, ever, actually happened? She shook her head slowly as she continued walking towards Urahara Shop, still debating just how she was going to explain her current predicament to her Landlords. If one could even call Urahara and Tessai "Landlords".

She had left Ichigo where he had fallen. Normally, she would have tried to get him to Orihime as soon as possible, but no sooner had she heaved the carrot top over her shoulder, she had heard them coming. So she left him there- No doubt when he came to, he'd tell them about the mysterious girl in a hoodie who had fought with the Arrancar.

So now she was Mysterious Hoodie Girl. She grimaced. What a horrible alias.

During her short walk to Urahara Shop, she had been relieved to find that small pieces of her exoskeleton had been chipping away. Judging by the pattern it was currently making, she guessed that in the end she would be left with the exoskeleton only covering her skin where major bones were- Her ribs, her hip bone, collar bone, and other such things. She sighed. She guess that this was the best she could hope for.

Her fight with Grimmjow had been short, but she could already tell that, with this strange transformation of hers, her powers had also increased. Had she been in her normal Shinigami form, she felt sure that she would have been entirely unable to keep up with him, much less to return his blows with the same level of power. Briefly, she gazed down at her hand, flexing it slightly as she looked at it. Her knuckles and tendons were still covered with Hollow bones, and she doubted that they would ever go away.

Surprisingly enough for her, though, her sudden and unexplained Hollowfication... Or, more accurately, Arrancar-ication, if that was even a word, had not been the most confusing thing to happen to her that night. She lifted her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes and ignoring the clicking sound of the bones on her face knocking against her fingernails.

She was still getting used to the idea that she had a new name. Honestly, it fit. Kensei had been totally right- She _wasn't_ Hiori anymore, so it seemed only fitting that she had a new name. It was just... So strange to get used to. Looking briefly down at her Zanpakuto, she recalled how Jairo had explained the naming process to her. Apparently, it was like a reverse situation to how people couldn't hear their Zanpakuto's name until the right time. Jairo had explained that he had never been able to hear her name, so he had just settled on calling her Wielder. She sighed bitterly- All he had needed to hear her name was for her body to transform into that of an Arrancar.

Her name was... Leona.

In some ways, she both loved and hated it. It made her her own person, a completely separate entity from the evil Hiori within her. There was Leona, and there was Hiori. Hiori was a cruel and corrupt Shinigami, and Leona was an extremely confused Arrancar. In another way, she hated how much closer the name brought her to the Arrancars. Grimmjow couldn't be a Japanese name. And Leona certainly wasn't of Asian origin, either. So in a way, it made her even more sure that, now, she truly was an Arrancar.

She stopped. The familiar outside of Urahara Shop appeared in front of her, and she gulped, shoving her hands deep within the pockets of her hoodie. She was _Leona_. She had to get that into her head. Taking one slow step forwards, she shivered. What was Urahara going to say when she saw her? She chuckled darkly. He would probably greet her with a jovial 'Ah, Hitsugaya-san!' before recoiling upon seeing her face. She smiled bitterly, taking another step closer towards the door. She was _Leona._

Sliding the door open, she continued repeating her mantra, 'I am Leona', over and over again inside of her head. Inside it was quiet, save for a few whispers, which she heard traveling from somewhere nearby her room. Leaving her shoes at the door, she tiptoed towards the noises, keeping her black hoodie pulled over her face as much as she could. She suddenly stopped, spying Jinta sitting in the hall just outside of Ururu's room.

"Jinta?" she said softly, and he jumped, apparently not having heard her appear by his side.

"Ah... Hey." he said quietly, then promptly looked away.

"Jinta, what's going on?" she asked, peering around the doorway, only to see Ururu being tended to by Urahara and Tessai. "Is Ururu okay?"

"I don't know," he said shakily, though he still refused to look back in the room. "Those damned Arrancar stabbed her straight through the stomach." She flinched. She was a 'Damned Arrancar', now. "I... I think she'll be okay..."

"Want me to go ask?" she asked, looking down at the worried Jinta fondly. He perked up instantly, nodding vigorously before going back to staring into the empty space in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room, causing both Urahara and Tessai to gaze up from their work.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-san, where have you been?" Urahara asked swiftly, though he continued to bandage Ururu's stomach carefully. "Your brother even stopped by, then he went- Why do you have that hood up so far?" he asked, suddenly becoming suspicious. "No... This Rieatsu... Tessai, take Ururu, this isn't Hitsugaya-san." he said quickly, standing up and pointing his cane straight at her heart. She flinched, taking several steps back.

"Urahara, st-"

"Don't you think you've caused enough damage tonight, Arrancar? We took your comrades down, we'll do the same to you." he said warningly, taking another step closer.

"Urahara, please, I j-"

"Get out of here." he said to Tessai, who heaved Ururu up into his arms. "I assume you are here to fight-"

"Urahara _stop._" she said, finally managing to speak over him. He paused, lowering his cane slightly. He and Tessai exchanged confused glances. "It's... It's me." she breathed, finally removing her hood. Urahara gaped, and her appearance elicited a small 'eep' from Ururu. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"What's happened to you?" Urahara breathed, dropping his cane to the floor and rushing over to her. Behind him, Tessai lowered Ururu to the ground once again before continuing to tend to her wounds. Suddenly, she felt strong hands push down on her shoulders, forcing her to the ground. Urahara was crouched in front of her, taking in her surprising new appearance. "How did this happen?"

"I got into a fight with my Hollow." she explained, and Urahara shook his head, covering his mouth worriedly.

"I don't think that there is any way to reverse this..." he muttered, touching the bit of Hollow mask on her face. She flinched slightly under his touch, but decided it was better to just let him do his thing. "Even your Rieatsu is different... This is truly an amazing transformation..."

"Speak for yourself," she replied, staring shamefully down at the boney features that covered parts of her left side. "Ah... Also, I should tell you... Leona." she said, pointing to herself. Urahara made a face, evidently confused. "My name. It's Leona."

"I don't understand," he replied calmly looking her up and down. "You look like Hitsugaya-san to me... Well, mostly..."

"I am," she said quickly, so as not to give him a reason to be on the offensive again. "Well, mostly, yeah. But... I don't really know how to explain this..."

"Try, please," he said seriously, sitting back on his heels and staring at her curiously.

"Jairo... That's my Zanpakuto,"

"Yes, you told me,"

"Jairo never called me 'Hiori, only Wielder,"

"Yes, you told me that, as well." She made a face. She couldn't get more than five words out without him saying something.

"But, tonight, he said that my name was Leona." she explained, touching the hilt of her Zanpakuto unconsciously. "He said he'd give me my name... Then he said it was Leona." Urahara nodded slowly, taking in the information before replying.

"Does this have anything to do with this?" he asked, gesturing to the boney structures on her skin.

"Partly... But also, I think it's because I'm completely separate from the Hiori that everybody knew, now." she said slowly, sounding a little unsure of herself. The situation was one of the more confusing ones that she had encountered in her lifetime, and she was having some serious trouble trying to figure it out herself. "So... There's _Hiori_, from the past, and then there's me... _Leona._"

Suddenly, Urahara stuck out his hand. At first, she flinched backwards, thinking that he was going to slap her or hit her. After a minute of squeezing her eyes shut and facing away from him, though, she figured that this had not been his intention. Slowly, she cracked one eye open. Urahara had a his right hand stuck out, fingertips pointed towards her. She arched an eyebrow, and Urahara smiled, grabbing her left hand and placing it in his, palms facing each other.

"Good to meet you, Hitsugaya Leona-san." A small smile flickered over her features as she grasped his hand in hers, shaking it as though they were just meeting each other for the first time.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Urahara-san."

* * *

><p>Leona had been sitting alone in her room for several hours. She felt nervous- Even though Urahara had taken it so well, she couldn't be too sure about any of the others. Even though Jinta seemed to care less, despite the fact that Arrancars had injured his friend, Ururu still refused to go near her even though she had been healed several hours ago. Leona had been sitting in her room, staring at the door that connected her room to Ururu's, hoping against hope that she'd have another nightmare and come running to her, crying and begging to share her bed.<p>

So far, she'd had no such luck.

Finally deciding to give it up, Leona stood up, dropping her Zanpakuto on her bed and grabbing her towel from its hanger on the wall. By now she was sure the bath was free, and she was sure everyone was asleep. She preferred it this way. Even if Urahara took it well, she was positive that he felt at least a little unsettled each time he saw her. Who wouldn't? Even she became nervous each time she looked in the mirror.

She slowly slipped out of her clothes, allowing the hot steam from the bathwater to soothe her aching muscles. Even more of her exoskeleton crumbled away as the steam wafted over her, and she stared at the broken pieces that now lay on the floor before climbing into the inviting water. After several minutes of simply sitting motionlessly in the water, Leona glanced down, staring intently at her Hollow Hole. She had the sudden urge to stick her hand through it, just to see if she could actually go all the way through it, but she resisted. That would have just been way to freaky.

A sudden clatter came from the doors to the bathroom as they slid open, and Leona swiftly ducked beneath the water's surface. A moment later, however, she mentally slapped herself. What was ducking underwater supposed to do? They obviously already knew that she was in here, whoever they were, and she couldn't hold her breath forever. Finally giving in, she rose to the surface, taking a big gulp of air before exploring the room with her eyes to locate the intruder. Her breath caught in her throat.

Standing in front of her was Toshiro and Rangiku. Thick white bandages covered her brother's chest, and Rangiku was sporting several large scrapes on her face and arms. Toshiro was regarding her with a calm expression, though Rangiku seemed to be more than surprised as she took in Leona's appearance. Toshiro set down his sword, taking several steps forward.

"Urahara told me... Everything."

"I see," Leona replied quietly, distracting herself with the water briefly as she continued to feel both her brother and his Lieutenant staring at her.

"It's a lot to take it..." he muttered darkly, his brilliant blue green eyes staring at her face serenely before he continued speaking. "But it makes no difference." Leona's eyes widened, and she turned to stare at her brother with undisguised astonishment. From behind Toshiro, Leona could see Rangiku smiling to herself, meeting her eyes briefly before looking away. "Nee-sama will always just be Nee-sama, even if your name and face change."

"You can't meant that..." she murmured sadly, looking away from Rangiku to stare at the water once more.

"I do." he replied stonily. Leona remained silent, locked in a sort of staring contest with her younger brother, who refused to look away. After what seemed like ages, Leona finally smiled, and Toshiro simply rolled his eyes.

"You love me, don'tcha?"

"Don't push it." he said swiftly before sitting down on the edge of the bath. Leona continued to laugh, however, and finally Toshiro turned to glare at her. "_What_ is so amusing?"

"... Toshiro, you know I'm naked, right?" she said finally, and her brother's eyes widened in surprise.

"... Right. Right... Rangiku, I'll be in the hall." he coughed out awkwardly, picking up his Zanpakuto as he left. At the door he paused, turning back to meet Leona's eyes. "I meant what I said, Nee-sama." And with that, he left Rangiku and Leona alone. The silence was heavy and awkward for several long minutes, only broken periodically as the water sloshed around Leona's body. After some time, Rangiku finally spoke up.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked, and Leona blanched.

"A-absolutely no-" her words were cut off as Rangiku swiftly stripped, sliding into the tub on the opposite side, sighing contentedly as the hot water covered her skin.

"Ah, that's the stuff." Leona glowered, pulling her knees to her chin in an attempt to cover herself.

"H... Hey, just what do you think you're doing?"

"Taking a bath, what does it look like?"

"I don't know you."

"I know your brother."

"So?"

"So."

"..."

The two lapsed back into tense silence, Leona refusing to meet Rangiku's eyes, which were staring at her unwaveringly from the other side of the tub. She knew what it was she was looking at- The part of her Hollow mask on her face was all that was visible of her change, aside from the small boney plates that remained attached to her kneecaps.

"Stop staring, please," she whispered finally, turning to meet her eyes. Rangiku shrugged nonchalantly, unfazed by Leona's apparent self consciousness.

"It's interesting, is all," she replied, sloshing the water around her body a little more as she spoke. "How're you going to tell everyone else?" Rangiku asked, a much more serious tone making its way into her voice. Leona lowered her eyes briefly, thinking this question over in her head several times before answering.

"I'm not too sure..."

"I figured," she said, sighing again and leaning farther back into the water. So the two lapsed back into silence for several more minutes, before it was broken once more by Rangiku. "Wait till I tell everyone I got naked with an Arrancar!" Leona flushed instantly, making a face and splashing water in her direction.

"You _can't_ tell, Rangiku-san, please!" she hissed, but the woman simple laughed. "Especially not Ichigo!" Her expression changed suddenly to one of blatant confusion as she threw her hands up into the air.

"What the hell is so great about that guy?"

"Excuse me?" Leona replied, taken aback. Rangiku rolled her eyes before continuing.

"You're the second person to admit that you like him to me,"

"I never said th-"

"First Orihime, now you... Geez, just what about this guy inspires so much insecurity in the women around him?" Leona frowned. So, Orihime had finally admitted it out loud. That certainly was something.

"First, did I say I liked him?" Rangiku opened her mouth to answer, but she cut her off. "And secondly, I think this-" she gestured at the Hollow mask on her face. "-Is reason enough to be self conscious."

"True. But you _do_ like him. Or am I wrong?" Leona panicked briefly, glancing around the room.

"I- Yo... No! I don't, not at all, so-"

"You're way too easy to read, y'know?" Leona frowned, folding her arms over her breasts and turning decidedly away from the blonde woman in front of her. This was absolutely ridiculous! And why, exactly, was she still in the bath with her? This had to be the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her, and that included becoming and Arrancar. "You better move fast, because I gave Orihime some pretty good encouragement."

"Super." Leona replied icily, still not looking at Rangiku.

"... He was looking for you, you know." she said suddenly, and Leona's eyes widened. "Tonight, when Orihime was healing Rukia. He was looking for you." Leona's eyes softened, and she finally turned to face the woman in front of her.

"We got into a fight..."

"Good!" Leona glared angrily in her direction, making to retaliate for her blatantly rooting for Orihime in her presence, but she was silenced swiftly. "He doesn't get in fights with Orihime, does he?" Leona paused, thinking this question over briefly before shaking her head. Rangiku was right- She had never seen Ichigo fight with Orihime. "Fights are what make relationships grow and mature. It means he acknowledges you... Oh, and you were the Super Hoodie girl who saved him, weren't you?" she added, changing the direction of the conversation so fast that Leona nearly got whiplash.

"_Super Hoodie?"_ she repeated in disgust. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Sorry girlie, it's stuck, now, it's what everyone's calling you."

"Awesome. Just awesome."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Elsewhere in Karakura Town...<em>**

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><p>"Mom!"<p>

A young girl with short auburn hair, longer in the front, and only reaching the nape of her neck in the back, called up the stairs to the second story of her home, and she paused, waiting for a reply. After several minutes of waiting, a muffled 'hm?' made its way down the stairs.

"I'm going to work," she said, her voice softer this time as her eyes made their way over to the clock on the microwave. The time read six thirty-six in the morning, and the girl sighed heavily. She would have given anything to be headed to high school this very moment, but as her luck would have it, with her family's financial problems, school was entirely out of the question.

Shrugging on a dark denim jacket and shoving her feet into her shoes, she dashed out of the door, shielding her sky blue eyes from the early morning sun as she made her way down the street. Glancing to her left, she saw a short boy with white hair, accompanied by a tall woman with large breasts, both wearing the local high school's uniform. She sighed wearily, watching as they waved goodbye to a third person- A girl. Her breath caught in her throat... What was wrong with the girl's _face?_

The other two seemed completely unfazed by it, but the girl watched as the redhead dashed around the corner. After standing still for several long minutes, she shook her head, freeing her mind of her frantic thoughts as she continued on down the street. She didn't get very far, however, as a sudden noise from behind her made its way to her ears, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

"Who's there?" she called, glancing around the street behind her from under her blunt-cut bangs. At first, she saw no one, but a moment later a loud and purposeful cough made her look upwards, at the sky; Her eyes widened. In the air stood two people... At least, she thought that they were people. But she had never seen float before. She gasped, not even trying to hide her surprise as her eyes raked over the strangers.

The man was the tallest person she had ever seen in her life. His features looked stretched, almost disproportionate, and he wore a goose bump-enducing sneer on his face. His dark black hair shifted in the breeze, and she directed her attention to the woman beside him. Bright blonde hair framed her dark skinned face, green eyes staring out over her high collar calmly, watching the girl on the ground below her with carefully guarded interest.

"Well, well, Aizen-sama'll be pleased," the man leered, bending over slightly to get a better look at the girl, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Didn't take us long t'find you, this is some of the weirdest Reiatsu I've ever-"

"Nnoitra," the woman said, and the girl jumped. Her voice was strangely deep for a woman's, though she couldn't deny that it was extremely authoritative. "Enough talk. We were instructed to retrieve the girl, not converse with her." The man, Nnoitra, rolled his eyes in a bored manner. "You _are_ the girl who calls herself 'Kanna', yes?" Kanna nodded slowly, but the next second she could have slapped herself. Why hadn't she just said no?

"Idiot, idiot," she muttered, backing up before turning swiftly and running down the street. Nnoitra 'tsk'ed loudly.

"This is too much trouble, let's just leave 'er."

"We cannot." the woman replied, and before Kanna could even make it three feet, she was in front of her. "You are coming with us."

"NO!" Kanna screamed, backing away, only to bump into Nnoitra's stomach. He sniggered, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly. "Someone help! Help me!"

"No use screamin', there isn-"

"Anyone to hear?" A third voice spoke, finishing Nnoitra's sentence for him. His eyes widened, and Kanna froze, ceasing to struggle as she turned in Nnoitra's grip to see who had spoken. "Sorry, but you guys were being pretty loud." The girl from before, the one with the strange face, was standing feet from Nnoitra, her sword outstretched. Kanna sighed in relief, mentally promising to apologize to the girl for ever making judgements about her based on her weird face if she got out of this alive. Nnoitra 'tch'ed again, releasing Kanna and pushing her into the blonde woman in front of her.

"Go on ahead, Tia, I'll take care of this." Tia arched an eyebrow, briefly taking in the other girl's appearance before backing up.

"Careful, Nnoitra, she's not a Shinigami."

"I can fucking see that, thanks." he replied lazily, dragging his strangely long tongue across his lips as he stared at the girl. Kanna's eyes were wild once again as she struggled in Tia's grip, reaching out her arms towards the red haired girl, who was now exchanging blows with Nnoitra, struggling to get around him. Nnoitra's head snapped backwards as a heavy punch from the redhead made contact with his jaw. A moment later, Kanna saw him spit out several molars.

"No!" Kanna yelped, but the next second the sky behind her opened, and Tia stepped inside. Her eyes widened in fear, and she saw the red haired girl stare up at her in panic. "Please help me!"

"Get out of my way!" she roared, pushing against Nnoitra with all her might. He slid backwards, crashing into the light pole behind him. The pole collapsed with a crash, concealing Nnoitra in a cloud of dust as the girl rushed up to where Kanna was slowly disappearing.

"Please, no-!" she screamed, reaching for her hands, but it was too late. The sky swallowed her whole, and she suddenly found herself in the middle of some sort of desert. The red haired girl was nowhere to be seen, and Kanna finally ceased to struggle in Tia's grip.

"Kanna..." she murmured darkly, turning her to face some sort of strange castle, which was barely visible in the distance. "Welcome to Hueco Mundo."

* * *

><p><strong>Leona's appearance: Leona has short, dark red hair, which ends a little bit under her chin. The bit of Hollow mask on her face is just like Grimmjow's, for people who have trouble picturing it. The Hollowfication that previously covered her entire left side receded during this chapter, and she it now left with the exoskeleton only covering places above where certain bones are located, such as her ribs, hips, knees, knuckles, and collar bone. In the center of her tattoo, which is on her left side just below her ribs, is a Hollow Hole, which isn't large but if bigger than her fist. Leona wears a white turtle neck with long sleeves, which covers most of the Hollowfication on her left arm, though it ends halfway down her ribcage. She also wears tan capris, which cinch up just below her knees. She continues to wear the standard shinigami sandals with socks, and carries Jairo in her belt loop.<strong>

**This chapter is mainly just Leona explaining her situation to a few people. She is reluctant to tell Ichigo, fearing how he will react. Strangely enough, she seems to develop an odd sort of bond with Rangiku over a bath, where she tells her that the fight she had with Ichigo is proof of the bond that the two of them share. Also, some good Toshiro and Leona moments in here- Thank god for brother sister bonds.**

**At the end, we finally get a good look at the new OC (THANKS TO KIRA), who is captured by Tia and Nnoitra despite Leona's efforts to save her. This will come back into play later. Here's a small description of the OC, Kanna, provided by BlueFox of the Moon/Kira:**

**"Short, just a few inches shorter than Toushiro, with pale skin and skyblue eyes. Her hair is short, longest in the front and barely coming up to the nape of her neck in the back. Similar to Raven from Teen Titans or the smaller zanpakuto spirit of Katen Kyoukotsu, but with straight-cut bangs and auburn colored hair."**

**Thanks again to Kira for providing me with an excellent OC!**

**Chapter titles of the last chapter and this chapter:**

**Mala Suerte: Means 'Bad Luck' in Spanish.**

**la nuevo león: Means 'The New Lion' in Spanish. Noticing a pattern? One reason I adore the Arrancars is all of the Spanish words- I love it!**

**Also, thanks to all my readers for the reviews!**

**to animelover/raven: Yet again, another hilarious review- I wouldn't want them any shorter! As you can see, I took your suggestion of having the Hollowfication recede... You're totally right, that be horrible for their sex life ;)**

**to Kira/BlueFox: I hope my brief explanation made sense, but if it didn't, I'll explain it again here- The thing with the name is kind of like the reverse of how Shinigami eventually here their Zanpakuto's name. So, Jairo was unable to here Hiori/Leona's name, which is why he called her Wielder until after she became an Arrancar. Hope that makes sense!**

**Don't forget to review, and thanks so much for all the reviews/favorites/alerts!**


	39. Part 3: El Cero

_..._

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><p><em>"That's right. Nothing can change my world.<em>_" _

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><p>"And you're sure about this?"<p>

Leona nodded swiftly, an large icepack covering the cheek without a Hollow mask. It was now the late afternoon, and the redhead was still recovering from the minor, albeit painful, injuries inflicted by her opponent. In the end, her efforts had all come to nothing, as the blonde Arrancar had succeeded in taking the human girl back with her to Hueco Mundo. Of course, that hadn't stopped her companion Nnoitra, the Quinto Espada, from challenging Leona to "the fight of her life". In the end, he had backed off and ripped open the sky, returning to Hueco Mundo and leaving a seriously bruised and tired Leona in his wake.

The fight itself had only been slightly more difficult than her little brawl with the blue haired Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Leona had been given more than a fair warning that Nnoitra was a level above Grimmjow. She may not have been fluent in Spanish, but she knew enough of it to understand what the words Sexta and Quinto meant. Six and Fifth.

Her fight with Nnoitra had been short and frustrating, not to mention demeaning in the most perverse way possible. Her gaze hardened, and her grip on her icepack tightened in anger. Every chance he got, he just called her "Toy-chan". What the hell was that all about? Leona shivered slightly, remembering the sardonic leer that had painted his features for most of their fight. Only when Leona had finally managed to slice off some of his deep raven locks did his overpowering sneer finally fade.

Leona hadn't been able to gain much information during her brief exchange of blows with Nnoitra- Nothing he said was particularly helpful and, truthfully, Leona had been a little too distracted to make much of it, besides. He had mentioned somebody called Szayel, but other than that, he really only spouted meaningless taunts and something about experiments. Honestly, it was all sort of a blur for Leona after he had bashed her in the face with his Zanpakuto before running back to Hueco Mundo.

"Urahara-san, Arrancar don't... _Eat_ humans, do they?" she asked nervously, hoping against hope that this was not the case. If she had to eat people to sustain herself as she was now, she'd probably just go ahead and have Urahara kill her. That would definitely be the last straw for her. Urahara, however, quickly shook his head, dispelling the worries that had been muddling her brain for the last hour. "Then what would they want with just any old human?"

"Are you certain she's human?"

"I mean, her Reiatsu was a little weird, but yeah." she replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "Definitely human. I could smell it." Urahara crinkled his nose, flapping his fan in front of his face as a sudden crash from far below Urahara Shop shook the floor.

"Smell?"

"It's an Arrancar thing." she explained briefly, bracing herself once again as the floor shook. "What the hell are they doing down there?"

"Abarai-kun and Sado-san are working on improving themselves." he replied, sighing slightly as something in his shop rattled, fell to the floor and crashed. Leona raised her eyebrows as the shop shook once again.

"Improving in what? Explosives?"

"Now, now, let's not be snarky, Hitsugaya-san." Leona's lips twitched in a small smile, her cheek stinging painfully as she did so. She wondered why it was that only Ulquiorra seemed to call her 'Indigena', while the others fought her without a care in the world. Perhaps it had something to do with their levels- After all, both the Sexta and Quinto Espada were the only two who had fought her without mentioning the Indigena.

A sudden rattle met Leona's ears, and she jumped slightly as a familiar voice rang out through the deserted halls of Urahara Shop. The blonde man in front of her looked down, as if to ask 'are you ready', but Leona simply shrugged. It really didn't seem to matter so much anymore- Both Chad and Renji would see her face when they finally came up from the underground training room, and Yoruichi had already seen it. Actually, she had taken it pretty well, all things considering, and she'd actually told her that the look suited her. Leona shook her head absent mindedly. Yoruichi was a difficult person to predict.

"Well, hellooooooo Inoue-san!" Urahara cried, waving his arms in the air happily as Yoruichi and Orihime entered the room. "It's been a while!"

"Ah... Yeah." Orihime replied, seeming a little calmer than usual. "Actually, before we start, I have a few questions... Hiori-chan?" Leona flinched, clutching the icepack closer to her face. Urahara continued to smile brightly from his place beside the entrance to the underground chamber.

"Yes, it seems that there are several things you need to be caught up on," Urahara said thoughtfully, looking back and forth between Orihime and Leona. "First of all, Hitsugaya-san is an Arrancar."

"What?" Orihime squeaked, eyes widening as she glanced over at Leona, who made no move to look at her.

"Secondly, she's not so much 'Hiori-chan' anymore as she is 'Leona-chan'." he continued, flapping his fan in front of his face in a sickeningly flirtatious manner. "That part will probably be the most difficult to grasp."

"Eh? What... I don't understand... Who's Leona-"

"And then there's the Super Hoodie,"

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun told me to ask you about her-"

"That is also Leona-chan."

"Leona-chan?" Orihime repeated, looking extremely confused and on the verge of panicking.

"Leona-chan is Hiori-chan, please keep up Inoue-san." Urahara summarized dismissively. Orihime's confusion simply increased ten fold, and at last Leona looked in her direction. The walnut haired girl's eyes widened when they fell on her, taking in the piece of mask that now adorned the left side of her face. Leona smiled a small, sad smile. After a long silence, Orihime finally spoke up.

"... Does Kurosaki-kun know about this?" Leona shook her head quickly, still not speaking. Honestly, Orihime's reaction could have been much worse. She figured she should count her blessings while they lasted. "But you're going to tell him... Aren't you?"

"I doubt I can keep this a secret forever." Leona replied sadly, touching the mask on the side of her face. "I just don't know when..."

"Hio... Leona-chan... Can I just ask, how did this happen?" Orihime stammered, kneeling down on the floor on Leona's right. She sighed, tucking a strand of her short red locks behind her ear as she considered this. Even she still didn't know why, exactly, this had happened. It had all been so fast, with no real explanation ever really given.

"I got in a fight with my Hollow, to suppress it... And this is how I ended up."

"But Kurosaki-kun just did the same thing!" Orihime replied breathlessly. She continued to stare at Leona's bone-like visages with a mixture of surprise and interest. "And I just saw him! This didn't happen!" At this, Leona's eyes widened, turning immediately to Urahara for answers. All that he could do was shrug. Why had this only happened to her? If Ichigo had already fought and won against his Hollow, why wasn't he turning into an Arrancar? It didn't make any sense... And it certainly wasn't fair.

"I guess I'm just unlucky," Leona sighed sadly, standing up and setting the icepack gently down on the table. "So, we going down, Urahara?" He nodded, opening the small door in the floor that led to the underground training room. "Coming, Orihime?" Leona asked, now halfway into the trap door. The girl seemed to still be in shock over the whole situation, and Yoruichi had to nudge her forwards in order to get her to walk towards the trap door.

Once below, the crashing that had been shaking the floor of Urahara Shop shook their bodies, the thunderous noise filling their ears as Chad ceaselessly beat things with his enormous arm- A power which, much to Leona's chagrin, she still had yet to understand. Both Orihime's and Chad's powers were exceedingly strange, unlike anything she had ever seen before. There was no explanation for them- They were not Shinigami or Arrancar, and their powers were strangely unique. They made her curious, but she figured that the two actually knew as little about them as she did.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about, Urahara-san?" Orihime asked, raising her voice so that she could be heard above Chad and Renji's fight.

"Earlier, Matsumoto-san of the Tenth Division stopped by... And it has been brought to my attention that, for the coming war, both we and Soul Society will need more offensive power than we already possess."

"I understand," she replied swiftly, and Leona's eyes narrowed. Orihime was here for one reason, and one reason only- She had taken her words several days ago to heart. She now understood the situation; Kurosaki Ichigo would not always be around to protect her. "I... Want to get stronger," she said softly, shifting her gaze to meet Leona's gray-eyed stare full force. Leona nodded. She knew what needed to be done.

"Actually, I want you to stay out of the battle this time." Urahara said, sighing heavily as he turned to face the three women standing behind him. Orihime's eyes widened, and both Yoruichi and Leona exchanged glances. They really hadn't seen that one coming. Even Chad and Renji had ceased fighting, now listening intently to what Urahara had to say. "Tsubaki... Ever since he was destroyed by that Arrancar, you haven't been able to restore him, have you?"

"Hold on, Urahara-san," Chad said suddenly, lowering his arm and taking a step or two closer. "Inoue is our friend. She fought with us in Soul Society..." He paused, and Leona clearly saw his tired eyes falls on her face briefly, though he said nothing. She sighed. She should have expected that from Chad; In all honesty, she was grateful. Now really wasn't the time for such things, besides. "If she wants to get stronger, you should let her!"

"He has a point, Urahara-san." Leona added, placing her hands on her hips. "You can't just push her aside like that, Urahara-san, it's not right... Does she really just have to sit on the sidelines? We need all the power we can get for this,"

"Ah, I am being ganged up on... But aren't you two arguing based on emotion?" Urahara countered, earning glares from both Chad and Leona. "Do you want her to be killed?"

"No!" Chad protested angrily, but Leona just shrugged. Sometimes, Orihime annoyed the hell out of her, but she would never wish death upon the girl. "Inoue has healing, that's more important than attacking!"

"It will be of no use in upcoming battles. That aside, we have the assistance of Captain Unohana and her Division on the front lines." he explained, keeping his voice level and calm. "They will compensate many times over for the hole left by Inoue-san."

"But-"

"Enough." Urahara said, suddenly becoming harsher than Leona had ever seen him before. Orihime's face fell, and Leona attempted to comfort her by awkwardly patting her shoulder; Comforting really had never been her thing. "A warrior who has lost their strength... They will only get in the way."

"That's enough, Urahara." Leona hissed coldly, stepping forward. "Don't just say whatever the hell you want- Orihime's standing right here, you know."

"It's okay..." Orihime murmured, drawing all attention in her direction. "It's fine."

"Urahara, what if I stay with her throughout the fight?" Leona suggested suddenly, and Urahara arched an eyebrow. "I can protect her, or something, you can't just shut her out."

"That is impossible-"

"Why?"

"Because, Hitsugaya-san, your new found powers are going to be essential to winning this fight." he explained sternly, and from behind her, Leona could hear Orihime's position shift as she slowly back away.

"New found powers?" Renji said loudly, butting into the conversation finally. "What d'you- Hey, what the hell happened to your face, Hiori?" Leona responded with the hugest eye roll that she had ever achieved in her life, but both she and Urahara simply ignored the red haired man and continued their coversation.

"That's why I've brought you here today, Hitsugaya-san." he began. He took a step closer, holding out his cane and pointing it at her chest, and Leona was suddenly reminded of his actions when he had first seen her as an Arrancar. "You are going to fight me-" Leona quickly reached for Jairo, but halted at his next words. "_Without_ the use of your Zanpakuto." Leona pursed her lips in confusion, letting her fingers slide away from the hilt.

"I don't get it," she muttered, eyeing Urahara suspiciously. His usual crooked smile made its way onto his face again, and Leona was suddenly aware that Orihime had vanished. Urahara, however, gave her no time to call out to her, as the next second he sliced at her face with the edge of Benihime, and Leona was forced to bend all the way over backwards to avoid having her nose sliced off. Renji whistled as she brought her feet upwards to kick Urahara in the face, pushing him away roughly as she flipped back into an upright position.

"That's some damn good flexibility you got there," Renji said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the name Hitsugaya-Hentai, would it-"

"Fuck off, Renji," Leona growled, straightening herself before Urahara could come at her with another attack. "I don't get it. I already no hand-to-hand, Urahara."

"I'm talking about Hollow techniques here," Urahara replied, dragging his Zanpakuto across the dirt lazily while he spoke. "Arrancar techniques, more specifically. This is just a guess, but you can already use Sonido without even trying, can't you?" Surprise was evident on Renji's face, and even Chad looked more than a little confused as Leona nodded in reply.

"Urahara... Sorry, but... Hitsugaya is an Arrancar?" he asked, his tone suggesting that it was a half question, half statement. His eyes were already traveling over the length of her body, taking in the boney exoskeleton exposed by her cropped turtleneck and capri pants. Urahara nodded, and Renji made a face.

"Hah?" Leona made a face as well, completely taken aback by the strange noise Renji had just made. "When the hell did that happen?"

"Day before yesterday, I think," Urahara replied casually, and Chad and Renji exchanged confused glances. "Enough questions, Leona will answer them for you later."

"Who the hell is Leona?"

"Hitsugaya-san is Leona."

"Wait, no, she's Hiori-"

"No, I'm Leona." Leona said swiftly, eager to rid herself of the name that had, until recently, been causing too many problems and misconceptions for her to count. Renji's mouth was agape in confusion, though he asked no more questions and simply continued to stare at Leona.

"Anyways. Sonido isn't the only technique that Arrancars use. I'm talking about things like Bala, and Cero." he explained, taking a step closer to Leona and lowering his sword, showing that he was only nearing her to explain. "These are things that most normal Hollows can use, but not to the same degree as Arrancars. "Bala and Cero are essentially the same, but Bala is smaller."

"So... I can use those?"

"I'm assuming, unless you have any reasons to believe that your transformation is incomplete?" Only when Leona shook her head did he continue on. "The thing that I am most interested to see you use, however, is the Garganta."

"Gar... Ganta?" Urahara nodded, taking his sword and drawing a thin line in the sand.

"This-" he muttered, tapping the line slowly with the tip of his Zanpakuto. "-Represents the barrier between the world of the living and Hueco Mundo, which is where Aizen currently resides." Leona nodded- She knew that already. "Garganta allows Arrancar to travel back and forth between the two by removing this barrier in certain places for short periods of time. I'm sure you've seen them do it before."

"Is that that thing when it looks like the sky's eating them?" she asked, peering down at the single line with exceptional interest.

"I thought you might have. Yes, that is exactly what it looks like. And I believe that you will be able to do this, as well, which puts us at a serious advantage." he said, and Leona raised her eyebrows. "Up until now, they have had the advantage of being able to enter our world, but us not being able to enter there's. Now that we have someone just like the enemy on our side, we can get to Hueco Mundo just as easily as they can come here." Despite herself, Leona frowned. He had said 'Just like the enemy'. Somehow, it made her feel like even more of an outsider.

Leona was roused from her thoughts as Urahara made another lunge for her, and she narrowly dodged Benihime's razor sharp edge. She held her breath, ducking down and sweeping her legs out, tripping Urahara in the process. It was taking all of her concentration not to screw up in front of Renji and Chad, who had ceased their fighting and were now watching her with avid curiosity. Urahara gave a strained grunt, jutting his sword out into the open air, which Leona barely dodged. She hissed as she felt the tip of the blade graze the bone-like formations that covered the skin above her ribs- Despite them being rock hard, it still hurt when scratched.

"You're not concentrating, Hitsugaya-san," Urahara breathed, twisting in the air before bringing Benihime down hard, the blunt side bruising Leona's shoulder as it made heavy contact with her skin. Leona glowered, giving up and reaching for Jairo on her belt loop- Only to find it empty. She gasped, her eyes widening as Urahara dangled her precious Zanpakuto in front of her face. "I've got your Zanpakuto, Hitsugaya-san." he taunted, and Leona growled angrily in response. "As a Hollow, you have natural defenses that we Shinigami don't possess. Even though I have your Zanpakuto, you've still got attacks,"

'Focus, Leona,' Jairo's voice filled her mind, and she paused. Focus on what? She let out a long, slow breath, realizing that Urahara had stepped away to give her some room. The room was silent, and suddenly Leona could feel some sort of strange, overpowering energy flowing easily into her fingertips. A hot sensation began creeping up her arm, flowing over her skin like flames. Raising her left hand, Leona aimed at the empty space to her left, away from her companions. Her fingers curled, both her middle and pointer finger and thumb staying straight to form a gun-like shape. A sudden static noise filled the training grounds as the space between the tips of her pointer and middle fingers sparked with energy, growing in size with each passing second until it was the size of her head.

"... **ámbar brasa***." she whispered, and the next second the amber-colored energy shot from her fingers, erupting in a dazzling blast of light before practically incinerating the large pile of rocks in the distance. Both Renji and Chad gaped, though Urahara just continued to clap enthusiastically for the next several minutes, while Leona simply stared at the massive destruction that she had just initiated. So _this_ was a Cero?

"Well done, Hitsugaya-san, well done." he said fondly, finally ceasing his clapping and tossing back her Zanpakuto. "Tired yet?"

"Not even," she breathed, staring down at her hand, which was still forming the shape of a gun. Strangely enough, she felt empowered rather than tired. She flexed her fingers, staring down at her hands giddily. The feeling was incredible- It was like some sort of strange head rush, and she just couldn't get over it. She briefly wondered if it would be like this every time she used it... Secretly, she hoped it would be. It was incredible. Finally looking up from her hands, Leona smiled, confidence radiating off of her in waves. "Urahara... Let's do it again."

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><p>"... It's Ulquiorra... I'm coming in."<p>

The white doors in front of the turquoise-eyed man opened slowly, and he exchanged a brief glance with Yammy before entering. Honestly, he had been hoping that maybe Yammy could not be healed. He was foolish, and didn't think things through, one of the many reasons that he was the Décimo***** Espada. Much to Ulquiorra's chagrin, it had been surprisingly easy to heal Yammy's sliced off arm, and had he been given any emotions, he may have felt a little badly for the person who had done the healing; They had met an untimely end at Yammy's hands no sooner had the arm been fixed into place once more.

"Ah, you made it... Ulquiorra, Yammy." Aizen's voice echoed across the enormous room, and Ulquiorra's eyes followed the semi-circle of Espada surrounding their leader, who stood in the middle of the room, watching carefully as a new Arrancar was being formed. "We were just finishing up."

"What is the status of the Hogyoku's awakening?" Ulquiorra asked, though he allowed his eyes to wonder as Aizen answered his question. He knew the answer, anyways; Of course it was running on schedule. Far to Ulquiorra's right, movement caught his eyes, and he concentrated his sights on whatever it was that was moving. His eyes widened, realizing that it was a human girl. Her short auburn hair framed her pale face rather nicely, her sky blue eyes wide with fear as she watched the situation before her unfold. Ulquiorra arched an eyebrow, but made no comment, even as the girl squealed when the newest Arrancar was finally formed.

"Would you tell us your name... New comrade?" Aizen asked slowly, staring down at the shivering Arrancar before him. He was thin and lanky, shattered pieces of mask surrounding him at all sides as he stared up at their leader. Ulquiorra's eyes once again sought out the human girl, his curiosity getting the better of him each time he looked at her. What was she doing here? His attention was drawn towards the new Arrancar once again as he answered Aizen.

"... Wonderweiss... Wonderweiss Margera." he replied softly, and Aizen smiled.

"What is it that you find more interesting than this, Ulqiorra?" Aizen asked suddenly, and Ulquiorra's eyes quickly snapped from the human girl and back to Aizen. "Speak." Ulquiorra was silent for a moment, thinking over his words carefully before answering. Apparently, Aizen could already guess what he was thinking, for he answered his question even before he voiced his thoughts. "Ah, of course. The girl... Yes, Tia and Nnoitra fetched her from the human world a while ago..."

"What is this strange Reiatsu?" Ulquiorra murmured, green eyes fixated on the frightened girl. Aizen smiled, apparently particularly pleased with whatever answer he had for this question.

"It comes with a special gift that some humans possess... For reasons I will not share now, I chose her mainly because of the traces of this power." he explained, allowing his own eyes to wander over to the pale girl, who was caged by the farthest wall of the room. "I am going to have Szayel assist me in a few experiments with her later. It will be well worth my time in the end, I am certain." Ulquiorra nodded, and Aizen paused for only a moment before changing the subject entirely. "Do you remember the directive I spoke to you about a month ago, Ulquiorra?"

"Yes, sir." Ulquiorra replied, keeping his voice level and cold.

"... Put it into motion. I will leave the details in your discretion, take whoever you like." he instructed, straightening up and making his way for the door. "Ah, yes... Would you go along too, Grimmjow? I'm sure our Indigena is just itching for a rematch by now." Grimmjow merely frowned from his perch in the shadows, his limp blue locks getting in his eyes as he stared down at the other Espada, watching as Aizen exited the room in a sweeping flow of white.

"... Damn."

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><p><strong>**décimo: I think this means tenth, because diez mean ten... But I'm unclear on which one is right.<strong>

*****ambar brasa: Means 'amber ember' in Spanish. Leona's new Cero somewhat resembles Nnoitra's in color, though it's a little darker, like honey rather than gold. It forms at the tip of her fingers when she forms a gun sort of shape with her pointer finger and middle finger, her thumb sticking straight up. It incinerates and blows things up, pretty much.**

**In this chapter, there is a brief description of Leona's fight with Nnoitra after he and Tia kidnap Kanna (OC provided by BlueFox/Kira). It is briefly said that Nnoitra referred to Leona as "Toy-chan", much in the same way as he calls Orihime "Pet-san", I tried my best to portray his lecherous attitude just by using a brief summary of the fight... Hope that worked out alright.**

**Now, I'm going to tell you guys a really sad story... I got no reviews last chapter. But no worries, I took that to mean that my writing needed some serious improvement, so I hope that this chapter was back up to par with my others.**

**Don't forget to review!**


	40. Part 3: Hasta Luego, the Halcyon Days

_..._

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><p><em>"If you even fail to be born, it's only natural to die. "<em>

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><p>Bright morning sunlight filtered in through the single small window of Leona's room, rousing her from her slumber. Sighing, Leona glanced down, realizing that Ururu was still sleeping next to her, as she had been too scared to sleep on her own after yet another nightmare. She smiled. It seemed that, over time, Ururu had finally warmed back up to her, despite her new appearance as an Arrancar.<p>

It had been one month since she had learned Cero with Urahara, and since then, she, Renji and Chad had all been training ceaselessly. Needless to say, it was probably very helpful to them to practice fighting a real Arrancar, and Leona was fairly certain that they had practiced enough to almost keep up with her Sonido by now, and had also learned to listen for the booming static noise that always came before and after the use of Sonido. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Orihime for the past month, but she'd heard from her brother that Rukia had taken her back to Soul Society to train. Despite her continued dislike of the big breasted teenager, Leona was glad that at least someone had agreed to train her, unlike Urahara, who still resolutely stood by his decision for Orihime to remain on the sidelines during the upcoming Winter War.

Leona stretched, groaning slightly as she stood up on her tiptoes to touch the ceiling with her fingertips. She could already feel that her brother was gone; He had told her the night before that he would be leaving early to meditate with his Zanpakuto. Leona rolled her eyes slightly at the thought as she slid open the door to her room whilst pulling on her white turtleneck- She doubted her brother would get much meditating done with people like Yumichika and Rangiku around. A sudden crash shook the whole of Urahara shop like an earthquake, and Leona was forced to lean against the wall for support. With the way Renji and Chad had been practicing, all Leona could say was that she was surprised that the shop hadn't come crashing down around her this past month.

"Mornin'," a lazy voice drawled, and Leona smiled over her shoulder at the dark skinned woman, who was sitting alone at the table with two mugs of steaming tea.

"Thanks," Leona sighed, reaching for one of the mugs, which Yoruichi swiftly pulled away.

"What the hell?" she screeched, glowering at the redhead in front of her. "These are both for me, there's a pot on the stove, go make your own!" Leona rolled her eyes, but did as she was told.

"You're impossible," she muttered, pouring herself a mug full of the hot liquid. The smell was clearly black tea, but Leona couldn't tell what variant just from smell. Breathing in the warming steam, she once again sat down opposite of her old mentor, taking a sip before speaking. "I haven't seen you around, lately, Yoruichi." she said softly, but Yoruichi simply nodded in reply. "Where've you been?"

"Doing my own thing," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. "Urahara says you've learned Cero- That's pretty impressive."

"I guess, but Garganta is way harder than it looks."

"Is that that thing where it looks like the sky's eating them?" Yoruichi asked, and Leona immediately burst out laughing.

"That's exactly what I said to Urahara when he told me to learn Garganta," she replied, and Yoruichi smiled. After taking another sip of her tea, Yoruichi continued.

"He also says that you haven't told Ichigo yet,"

"I haven't seen him at all- When I last saw Orihime, she said he had been fighting with his Hollow for control... But I guess he's still off doing his thing somewhere."

"I see," was all that Yoruichi said in reply. Gazing down at the smooth surface of her hot beverage, Leona suddenly felt uncomfortable. Not because of Yoruichi, or Ichigo, or the conversation... It felt like something was coming. "Hey, Leona..."

"Hm?" she muttered, in the middle of taking a sip of her tea, though she still was unable to shake the suspicious, uncomfortable feeling.

"Just so you know... I think this whole new name thing is good for you, even if it confuses people," she explained slowly, leaning forwards on the table and propping her chin up on her fists. "You've always been Leona, ever since you woke up from that coma. But now, you're not Leona trying to be Hiori, you're Leona being Leona... I think it's- Oh, I'm sorry, am I boring you?" the cat woman snapped, folding her arms and glaring across the table in irritation. Leona was no longer listening, and instead had set down her tea and was concentrating on the ceiling. "Hello? I was saying something nice, what the hell's your pro-"

"Yoruichi... Something's coming," she whispered, and the next second an enormous Reiatsu came crashing down around them. Leona gasped; How many Arrancar did it take to create this kind of energy? She met Yoruichi's wide eyes briefly before standing up, shoving on her sandals and running to grab Jairo from her room. She couldn't tell how many there were, but she could tell that all of them were powerful. "Yoruichi, get Urahara!" she called, stuffing her Zanpakuto into her belt loop as she pulled open the door.

She glanced around wildly, desperately attempting to pinpoint the location of the Arrancar- Where was her brother? She hoped against hope that he hadn't been caught on his own, in the middle of meditating with his sword. That would put him at a severe disadvantage. To her left she heard an enormous crash, followed by a flare of Reiatsu that she definitely recognized, even if it was slightly warped; It was Ichigo.

Without a second though, Leona vanished with a burst of Sonido, flying up into the air as she gazed around Karakura Town. Far to her right, near the edge of town, she could see at least three Arrancar facing off with Ikkaku and the others. But Ichigo's Reiatsu was faltering, and that was what worried her. Yet another static boom met her ears as Sonido pushed her farther forwards, her body passing over the buildings below at breakneck speed. She wasn't sure how she had known they were coming, and she certainly didn't understand why they were here- It was nowhere close to winter, yet, so why would Aizen be sacrificing so many of his precious Arrancar to come and fight them in the human world? They all knew how well that had worked out for them the last time.

In front of her, Leona spotted a familiar orange haired boy, his sword scraping against that of the blue haired Arrancar, Grimmjow. Leona frowned. Was this Arrancar dead set of killing Ichigo, or had it just been a coincidence? They were twisting in the air, headed straight for the ground below, and the screech of metal on metal sent shivers up her spine. Even without getting closer, Leona could already tell that Ichigo was losing, despite the large amount of blood covering Grimmjow. Perhaps Ichigo had had the upper hand before she had arrived, but it seemed that the situation had now taken a turn for the worse.

Ichigo hit the ground roughly, and Leona finally came to rest on the top of a building. She wanted to jump in right away... But something told her that maybe she should wait, for Ichigo's pride's sake, at least. Perhaps he didn't want to be rescued by "Super Hoodie" yet again. Grimmjow landed on his feet beside him, and Ichigo raised his hand to his face. Leona raised a single eyebrow- What was he trying to do? Whatever it was, either it didn't work fast enough, or it didn't work at all, and the next second Grimmjow sent him flying with a rough kick to the gut. Suddenly, Leona's eyes widened. He was beating Ichigo with only one arm.

"Ha!" he growled, his wild blue eyes fixated on the fallen Ichigo. "It seems that once that mask breaks, you can't take it out anymore!... No... Maybe you've used up too much Spirit Energy, or taken too much damage. But either way, that mask-" he paused, and Leona's eyes widened even more as he sent his Zanpakuto straight through Ichigo's hands. "Isn't gonna be able to come out again! How's that? No worries- A Cero at this range will blast that mask-wearin' head of yours clean off!" Leona grabbed her Zanpakuto, getting ready to intercept the Cero, but a moment later Grimmjow found his hand incased in ice. Leona breathed a sigh of relief. It was Rukia.

"What the-?"

"Next dance..." Rukia murmured, turning her pure white Zanpakuto to face downwards. "Hakuren." Leona smiled contentedly, watching as Rukia tended to Ichigo, Grimmjow now incased in layers of ice. Perhaps she was being selfish. In all honesty, she probably should have stopped Grimmjow sooner. But the sooner she did, the sooner Ichigo found out, and something inside of her was afraid, more than anything, that Ichigo would no longer see her for _her_, but as an Arrancar. Sighing quietly, she turned to go- Only to pause a second later. The ice wasn't going to hold Grimmjow.

As if right on cue, Grimmjow busted through the ice, gripping the side of Rukia's head with his only hand. The ice around him crumbled then shattered, leaving his body completely free as if nothing had happened. Leona's eyes narrowed, and she took a steadying breath before using Sonido. This was it.

"Don't underestimate me, Shinigami!" Grimmjow roared, his word warped as Leona traveled with Sonido. "You think you can kill me by freezing a layer of my skin? DON'T BE NAIVE!"

"RUKIA!" Ichigo yelled, struggling to stand. Bright red light began to radiate from Grimmjow's palm, and he smirked.

"Fuckin' die already, Shini-"

Grimmjow's words were cut off as a powerful kick made contact with his had and then his shoulder, sending him flying into the opposite wall in a flurry of shattered ice and rubble. Rukia turned, eyes wide, and Ichigo took several steps back.

"Rukia, back off, it's ano-" Ichigo stopped speaking, his wild expression faltering as he finally got a good look at Rukia's savior. Short red hair fluttered as she came to a complete stop, and a loud groan came from Grimmjow, who had crashed into the side of a building.

"Hi... Hiori?" Rukia whispered, and Leona only smiled.

"I don't call myself that anymore," she replied. Reaching for Jairo, Leona flipped him several times in her hand, glancing to her right and smiling over at Ichigo, who's eyes were still wide in surprise. "Long time no see, Ichigo." she said, but their little reunion was soon interrupted by the angry Arrancar in front of them.

"Arrancar?" he spat, pushing himself up the side of the building with one arm. Leona just smiled, continuing to flip her Zanpakuto through the air before catching it by the hilt.

"Yeah. Arrancar." she replied, and the next second Jairo was sent spinning through the air, stopping as it stabbed straight through Grimmjow's shoulder. The movement had almost been too quick to follow, but when Ichigo and Rukia's gaze was brought back to Leona, she was gone. Ripping her Zanpakuto out of Grimmjow shoulder, she barely dodged a swipe from his hand, retaliating by ducking low and ramming him in the gut with her head.

"You're that bitch from before," he growled, grabbing his own Zanpakuto off of the ground and getting into a fighting stance. Blood still dripped from the wound inflicted by Jairo, but he seemed to still have plenty of energy. "Aizen said you'd be wantin' a rematch." Leona scoffed, backing away as Grimmjow took a step forward.

"Rematch? I totally won that fight!"

"The fuck you did, you got a couple lucky punches in, that's it." he replied. Lunging forward, he struck her Zanpakuto with his own, pushing against her with his full weight. A static noise filled the air and Leona vanished, using Sonido to carry her to Grimmjow's other side. Still suspended in midair, Leona brought her right foot around in a powerful kick, the force of which knocked Grimmjow off his feet and sent him flying. Instead of allowing himself to crash land, however, Grimmjow used Sonido to get right back up in Leona's face.

A powerful punch from Grimmjow's only arm sent Leona off balance, giving Grimmjow the opening he needed to slice at her stomach. Blood ran from the open wound, though it wasn't as deep as Leona had been expecting from someone with so much power.

"You're Hierro's pretty weak, Indigena," Grimmjow observed, earning himself a growl and another stab from Leona. The tip of her Zanpakuto ripped through his shoulder, Jairo's blade burning and searing his skin as it sank through his shoulder.

"So's yours," she said between her teeth, shoving him down in one powerful push. Leona took several steps back as Grimmjow pushed himself up, though Leona already knew that he wouldn't be standing upright in time to avoid what she had in mind. Forming her fingers in the now familiar gun-like shape, she pointed her middle and index finger directly at Grimmjow's face. The familiar burning sensation that came with powering her Cero once again filled her whole arm, and Grimmjow's eyes widened as the amber colored orb between her two outstretched fingers grew in size, bolts of energy zapping off of it here and there, incinerating loose debris around her. "**ámbar brasa**..." she muttered, and the size of her Cero increased once more. Grimmjow raised an arm, and Leona vaguely wondered what he had up his sleeve to defend himself against this. Smiling, her Cero finished growing, and she jerked her fingers back slightly, muttering one last word before releasing the power of her Cero full force onto the Sexta Espada.

"Bang."

With an enormous blast of power, the Cero ripped away from her fingers, surrounding the place where Grimmjow had been standing with amber colored light. Asphalt and other debris filled the air, and Leona's eyes widened with surprise as a strained cough came from the cloud of dust. Grimmjow was still alive, despite the fact that the place where he had been standing had now been reduced to a large crater in the street. Coughing up a good amount of blood, Grimmjow appeared out of the dust, his Zanpakuto still raised, though he looked a good deal weaker than before.

"Ah... You minimized the damage by hitting my Cero with yours." Leona said thoughtfully, knitting her eyebrows together in frustration. "Interesting."

"Shit..." Grimmjow muttered, spitting blood onto the street beside him. "Dammit... Fuck you!" Raising his Zanpakuto, Grimmjow lunged towards her, his eyes wild with anger and bloodlust. "GRIND-!"

"Grimmjow."

Leona froze, and so did Grimmjow, who was now staring angrily at the pale hand, the long fingers of which steadied his blade with exceptional ease. The turquoise eyed Arrancar that Leona had first fought stood behind him, his raven locks rustling in the breeze leftover from the Sonido he had used to get there so quickly. Grimmjow's eyes went wide with anger, and he didn't waste a second with reprimanding Ulquiorra for interfering.

"Ulquiorra!" he began, but the dark haired Espada cut him off.

"Mission accomplished... We need to go." A bright light suddenly filled the space around them, beaming down from a rip in the sky. Leona smiled, touching the air behind her and opening a small window of her own.

"I can follow you now!" she called warningly. Ulquiorra's face remained impassive, and Grimmjow simply snickered. "You can't just run off anymore! I can follow you!"

"That..." Ulquiorra began, his turquoise eyes never leaving Leona's. "Is what Aizen-sama is counting on." And then the sky swallowed them whole, leaving Leona alone with Rukia and Ichigo.

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><p>"Are you sure you're fine being here alone?"<p>

Rukia's voice was quiet, so as not to alert anyone else to Leona's presence. The redhead nodded from her perch at the very end of Ichigo's bed, her eyes never leaving the injured carrot top even for a second. After her fight with Grimmjow, Ichigo had collapsed, and she had been unable to speak with him. She and Rukia had spent the next several hours in his room, and after an extremely awkward silence, they had finally started talking.

Mainly, Rukia just had questions, which to be entirely honest had been exactly what Leona had been expecting. She asked about her powers, and how they had come to her, and really it seemed like all she wanted to do was to understand, more than anything. The raven haired girl was now leaning up against the wall, her kind eyes watching as Yuzu and Karin, Ichigo's sisters, slept soundly on the floor beside of his bed. Only after Karin had gone to sleep had Leona come into Ichigo's room- Rukia had explained that Karin could also see spirits, like Ichigo, and Leona just didn't feel like explaining herself to Ichigo's sister.

"How long will you be?" she asked, repressing a yawn as she spoke.

"An hour, maybe? I need to get back to Soul Society and check on Orihime." she explained, standing up and fixing her now wrinkled clothes. Leona nodded but said nothing, keeping her worried gray eyes locked on Ichigo. Out of the corner of her eye, she was sure that she saw Rukia smile, but the next second she had left the room. So Leona was left in the quiet, save for Yuzu and Karin's loud breaths, and Ichigo's occasional sighs. Sooner than she had expected, Leona found herself drifting off, but she snapped back to attention as soon as she saw Orihime come through the wall... Leona did a swift double take.

Why the hell was Orihime coming through the wall?

The walnut haired girl stared down at Ichigo, her soft eyes watching him as he slept. She jumped slightly when Yuzu and Karin made noises in their sleep, but swiftly went back to being calm when she realized it was just Ichigo's sisters. Leona arched an eyebrow- Was she really so oblivious that she didn't know that she was there? Deciding to bide her time and see what creepy, ghostly Orihime was up to now, Leona stayed as still and as quiet as possible.

"K... Kurosaki-kun's... Room..." Orihime muttered to herself, blushing heavily, which only caused Leona's eyebrows to raise still higher. She was now feeling oddly uncomfortable, as if Orihime was doing something extremely perverted... And in a way, she really was. She was in Ichigo's room secretly, and muttering to herself while watching him sleep.

Leona watched as Orihime gaze traveled around the room, though at the present she was looking to her left instead of in Leona's direction. Suddenly, Orihime touched Ichigo's bandaged hand, leaning down so that a curtain of her long brown hair fell over Ichigo's face. Leona frowned, watching as Orihime's lips drew even closer to Ichigo's.

"Hey." she blurted, and Orhime froze instantly. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?" Leona asked sternly. Orihime backed away from Ichigo swiftly, turning to face Leona, her eyes glassy from tears. Leona's stern expression faltered, and she frowned in suspicion. Why was she crying? And, more importantly, _why_ was she trying to make out with Ichigo while he was asleep. "Ori... Orihime, what the hell are you-?"

"I'm sorry, Leona-chan... I'd forgotten you'd be able to sense me, since you're an Arrancar..."

"Excuse me?" Leona whispered, sitting up a little straighter. "Sense you? Why wouldn't I- That's not the point. Are you a ghost? How'd you walk through that wall just now? Why are you in Ichigo's roo-" Leona's words were suddenly blocked by Orihime, who had pulled Leona into a bone crushing hug. Leona frowned, finding herself to be pressed against Orihime's unnaturally large breasts. She didn't pull away, however, as the girl was sniffling and crying a considerable amount.

"Leona-chan..." she stammered her body shaking as she tried to stifle her tears. "Sorry... I'm sorry, that must've been scary-"

"Scary? No, just weird." Leona replied. This was probably the second most uncomfortable experience of her life, beaten only by her awkward bath moments with Rangiku. Leona, by now, was fairly certain that nothing would ever trump her bath with Rangiku, also known as the Single Most Uncomfortable Experience of Her Life. "Orihime, what's going on? I though you were supposed to be in Soul Society-"

"I had so much I wanted to do!" she wailed into Leona's turtleneck. "I wanted to be a school teacher and an astronaut and open a cake shop, and go to Mister Donut and say 'Give me everything',"

"O-okay, but-"

"And go to Baskin-Robin's and say 'Give me everything'... If only I had five lives! Then I could stuff myself full of different foods, five different jobs, and... Fall in love with the same person five times." Leona froze. She took it back. _This_ was now the single most uncomfortable experience of her life. She was talking about Ichigo. Ichigo, who she had just tried to kiss while he was sleeping. The very same Ichigo that Leona herself- No, she thought, shaking her head slightly. She couldn't think about that right now. "Tell Kurosaki-kun I said thank you... And goodbye..."

"Orihime, wait," Leona said, reaching for her, but her eyes widened with confusion as all she could do was pass through Orihime's form, as if she were a ghost. "Orihime... Are you... Are you dead?" she choked out. She knew it sounded ridiculous... But what else was there to explain it? But Orihime simply shook her head slowly, passing through the wall beside Ichigo's bed.

"No. I just have to leave." she murmured.

"Orihime, wait!" Leona yelled, reaching for her hand yet again. But Orihime was gone, vanishing through the wall and to wherever it was that she was going. "Where... Where are you going?"

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><p>A strange feeling of deja vu swept over Leona as the bright morning light filtered through the windows of Ichigo's room. After her strange encounter with the Orihime Ghost, she hadn't been able to sleep, figuring that it had been a some sort of nightmare and having no intentions of reliving that more than awkward scenario. And what was more, Rukia had failed to come back within the hour she had specified. She had had to hide when Yuzu and Karin had woken up, but she had been sitting there on Ichigo's bed for the better part of three hours by then, and it had been a relief to have an excuse to stretch her legs, anyways.<p>

A sudden groan made Leona jump, and Ichigo fell to the floor with a loud thump. Leona snickered despite herself as the orange haired teen let out a long string of curses, holding his head with his hands as he hissed in pain.

"Good morning, Starshine," Leona said happily, rocking back and forth on Ichigo's bed. His eyes widened as he turned to face her, sitting bolt right up from his place on the floor.

"Hiori!" Leona 'tsk'ed in reply, wagging her finger back and forth.

"It's Leona, Ichigo." she replied, smiling happily. Ichigo's face was a mask of confusion. "My name. It's Leona."

"... I don't get it." he replied simply, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. Leona shrugged in reply, dangling her feet over the side of his bed as he sank down next to her.

"You don't have to." she said softly. The two continued to sit that way for several minutes, occasionally both beginning to speak at the same time, then stopping awkwardly. Finally, Ichigo spoke up again, and this time Leona did not accidentally interrupt him.

"Hio- Leona." he began, stuttering over her new name clumsily. Leona smiled. "... Where've you been?"

"Well, where've _you_ been?" she countered, pointing at him accusingly. He scowled.

"I asked you first." he replied, and Leona sighed.

"I've been at Urahara's. I figured Toshiro would have told you."

"I haven't seen him much, I've been other places."

"Like?" Ichigo didn't answer, and Leona guess that, like her, he just didn't like explaining himself to others. "It's fine. You don't have to tell. It's just good to see you again," she muttered, and she absentmindedly leaned her cheek up against his shoulder, her hard Hollow mask pressing against his skin as she did so.

"Likewise- H-hey, what the hell're you doing?" he blurted, gazing down at Leona as she leaned against him.

"I'm tired, I've been up all night making sure you didn't die." she retorted, glaring up at him but not moving from her comfortable position on his shoulder.

"So sleep on my bed."

"Don't wanna." she said swiftly, and Ichigo simply frowned in reply. The pair lapsed back into silence, Leona still leaning against his shoulder as she allowed her eyes to slide shut. A sudden warmth around her body almost made her jump up, but she kept her eyes closed, realizing that Ichigo had wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to him. Leona smiled contentedly despite herself. She had just begun to drift off, and then-

"Nee-sama, may I ask what you are doing?"

The familiar voice broke through the peaceful moment, and both Ichigo and Leona scooted away from each other as quickly as possible, putting some three feet between them, each now sitting on opposite ends of the bed.

"Nothing, nothing." Leona said quickly, glancing back to glare at her brother. Her own glare, however, was quickly outdone by the white haired boy behind her, who was glowering sternly, apparently not at all pleased by their antics.

"Well, whatever it is, save it for another time. We have an emergency."

"Toshiro... What is it?" Leona breathed, picking up her Zanapkuto from the end of the bed and turning all the way to face her brother. He shut his eyes, his lips set in a grave line on his serious face.

"Inoue Orihime has gone missing."

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><p><strong>CLIFF HANGER.<strong>

**Sort of, anyways.**

**So in this chapter, Leona wakes up in Urahara Shop, only to sense the Arrancar coming, though she doesn't actually realize what she was feeling until they are already in Karakura Town. After locating him, Leona goes to Ichigo's aid, since she can feel his unstable Reiatsu. She hesitates, since she's nervous about revealing her new identity as an Arrancar to him, but is forced to interfere when Grimmjow breaks free of Rukia's ice and almost blows her face off with a Cero.**

**After a short fight with Grimmjow, it is revealed that Leona has at least partially mastered the use of Garganta, though instead of taking this as a threat as she had hoped, Ulquiorra merely replies that this was what Aizen was counting on? WHY? You'll find out soon.**

**Leona is left with the task of looking after Ichigo when Rukia goes to look for Orihime in Soul Society, but Leona is surprised to discover Orihime appearing through the walls and coming into Ichigo's room. At first, since Orihime doesn't notice her, Leona figures she can just sit and watch and let her do her thing. Of course, once she realizes Orihime is trying to kiss Ichigo, she puts a stop to it. So instead of saying goodbye to Ichigo while he's asleep as she does in the manga, Orihime says goodbye to Leona, since she can sense her because she is an Arrancar. **

**Small LeonaxIchigo moment up there before the end of the chapter, though that was quickly interrupted because of Orihime's disappearance. Leona herself is convinced that her encounter with Orihime was nothing more than a dream, since she went through the wall and she couldn't grab her hand to stop her, etc. **

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews/favorites/alerts, keep 'em coming! I'm always interested in what my readers have to say!**

**To NightCat: Although Orihime was kidnapped, something else is going to happen soon with Leona, which I hinted earlier this chapter when Ulquiorra says that Aizen had been counting on Leona learning Garganta. Thanks for the review!**

**To animelover/raven: The Hollow bone/exoskeleton is still on the left side of her face, which bares a resemblance to Grimmjow's piece of Hollow mask. Then some covers her collar bone, her shoulder, her elbow and knuckles, as well as her ribs, hipbone, and knee cap. It runs together in some places, so I'll probably be drawing it and posting it on my tumblr (which can be found on my profile) soon, but until then I hope that helps!**

**Don't forget to review, and thank you for reading!**


	41. Part 3: Black Cavity, the Garganta

_..._

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><p><em>"It's still too early to believe."<em>

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><p>Ikkaku, Rukia, Rangiku, Renji, and Yumichika were already waiting for them. Leona's eyes traveled over the group slowly, taking in their appearances before settling on the enormous, static covered screen in front of them. Any questions that she had about said screen, however, were quickly drowned out by Yumichika and Ikkaku as they stared in blatant surprise at her much changed appearance.<p>

"Arrancar?" Ikkaku growled out, taking a step closer, but Toshiro blocked him with a sheathed Zanpakuto. His green eyes narrowed carefully, and the bald man backed off immediately.

"Nee-sama is like this through no fault of her own," he explained carefully, his eyes moving between Yumichika and Ikkaku, the only two who had remained completely out of the loop when it came to Leona's transformation. "I will not have you attacking her. Do I make myself clear?" Ikkaku nodded, stepping back and releasing his Zanpakuto. Lightening up immediately, Toshiro turned to his Lieutenant.

"How's the Spiritual Interference removal going?" he asked, and Matsumoto nodded in affirmation.

"It seems to be complete... Connect us." The static on the screen vanished, to be replaced by the image of the one and only Ukitake Jushiro. His long white hair flowed over his shoulders, and Leona couldn't help but smile at the familiar face. She took a few steps forward, and Ukitake smiled back, which came as a surprise to Leona.

"I explained..." Rukia whispered from her left. The next moment Ukitake became all business, his smiling eyes moving away from Leona and addressing the people around her.

"Ukitake, where is the Captain Commander?" Toshiro asked, stunned. Ukitake shook his head gravely, sighing heavily before launching into his explanation.

"I'm taking his place."

"For what reason?"

"Because... I was the last person to see Inoue Orihime before she passed through the Senkaimon."

Leona's breath caught in her throat. So it was true. Orihime was missing... So had the incident last night been real? She shook her head, clearing her thoughts as conversation whirled around her, though she couldn't really hear it. It couldn't have been real- There was no way that Orihime had acquired the power to pass through walls. It just couldn't... Be real...

"They think that Inoue Orihime was either abducted, or killed by an Arrancar." Ukitake explained, his voice grave. Leona shuddered- Maybe it _had_ been her spirit that she had seen last night.

"Captain Ukitake!" Rukia called angrily, and Leona was immediately on the offensive.

"No need to shout," she hissed, shooting a small glare in Rukia's direction. If Orihime was dead, it wasn't Ukitake's fault for suggesting it. "Don't shoot the messenger."

"I wasn't shooting him, it just can't be that simple!" Rukia replied furiously, waving her arms in the air in wild and random gestures. "I was with her only hours ago, there's no way... She can't be..."

"I know, I didn't want to say it, either." Ukitake sighed. "I'm talking about all possible explanations. She was confronted by an Arrancar and then disappeared-"

"Don't give me that shit!" Ichigo roared, and Leona jumped with surprise.

"Ichigo, stop it." she said sternly, and Ichigo paused, staring at her with a shocked expression. "Ukitake-san is right. We have to examine all-"

"He can't say she's dead without proof- My injuries are healed, and there's traces of her Reiatsu!" he protested, showing his completely healed wrist as proof. Leona raised her eyebrows in surprise... She didn't remember that happening. Perhaps she had done it when she had touched his hand... Assuming that it had really been Orihime, and not her ghost. But ghosts couldn't heal, she reasoned.

"I see," A new voice made its way into the room, and Leona's eyes widened at the sight of the Captain Commander, who had now appeared by Ukitake's side. "That is unfortunate."

"Unfortunate? Why?" Ichigo asked, and the Captain Commander made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. The old scar on Leona's upper arm burned, memories of her short fight with the old man flooding into the forefront of her mind momentarily.

"If this is correct, then Inoue Orihime is decidedly still alive. Though this suggests an act of betrayal. If she had been abducted, she would not have been allowed to see you again. That is to say, the fact that she healed your wounds and vanished, suggests that she joined the Arrancar of her own free will."

"That's craz-" Ichigo began, but he stopped as Renji grabbed a fistful of his hakama.

"It's not..." Leona murmured suddenly. Ichigo froze, his eyes widening as he took in Leona's words. "Ichigo, it's not crazy. I saw her, last night..."

"You saw her? When?" Rukia blurted frantically, though Leona made no move to speed up her speaking. She lowered her head, narrowing her eyes at the floor as she thought about it. It made since, now. It hadn't been a dream. And when Orihime had said that she was not dead, but needed to leave, she had meant that she needed to go with the Arrancars.

"She came in the middle of the night... She passed through the wall."

"What?" Ichigo said, staring at Leona disbelievingly.

"I know... I thought it was a dream. But she said goodbye to you, and to me, and then she left..." For a moment, everyone was silent, when finally the Captain Commander spoke up.

"I hereby forbid Hitsugaya's Advanced Guard from attempting to retrieve the traitor Inoue Orihime. We cannot sacrifice so much for opening the eyes of a single person, not in this time of war."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot follow that order," Rukia replied stonily, her eyes set on the old man on the screen. He grumbled something inaudible before falling silent for a moment. When he finally did speak, however, it seemed that he had been expecting this.

"I expected as such... I'm glad I prepared for this ahead of time."

A sudden burst of light and energy filled the room, and Leona had to shield her eyes from the blinding rays that filtered out through the doors of the end of Soul Society's Senkaimon. Out of the light appeared two familiar faces, and Leona once again found herself meeting the gray eyes of none other than Kuchiki Byakuya. To his left stood Zaraki Kenpachi, his spiked hair jingling with bells with every move that he made.

"It's good to see you again... Leona." he murmured quietly, stony gray eyes dead set on Leona's face. She smiled nervously in reply, unsure of the reason why he was here. If Rukia had explained her situation to Ukitake, she was sure that she had made it her priority to tell people of importance in Soul Society, particularly her older brother, who was now looking Leona up and down with interest. Recovering quickly from his curiosity, Byakuya's eyes shifted, resting on the rest of the Shinigami in the room. "Do not resist. We have orders to take you by force if necessary," he explained.

"I get it..." Ichigo choked out, his head hung low as the scene before him played out. "I... Won't ask for Soul Society's help. But at least tell me how to get to Hueco Mundo. I'll save her myse-"

"I forbid it." the Captain Commander replied, his voice authoritative and unwavering. Ichigo's confident expression faltered.

"What... The hell...?"

"Your power will be needed in the upcoming battle. I cannot-"

Suddenly, Leona coughed loudly, drawing all attention in the room in her direction. Her stormy eyes were set on the Captain Commander, who now filled the whole screen in front of her. Leona didn't like Inoue Orihime- She knew it, Orihime knew it, they knew it. But the pained and confused expression on Ichigo's face was too much. All he wanted to do was save Orihime; He only wanted to save his friend. And really, he would probably just go and ask Urahara about it later if worse came to worse. Knowing the blonde for the crook and scoundrel he truly was, Leona hadn't a doubt in her mind that the former Captain had a way around the Captain Commander's "I forbid it" spiel.

"Yamamoto-dono," Leona began, stepping forward. Her Shinigami sandals scuffed against the wood floors of Orihime's apartment, and she could feel the stares of the Shinigami, who had paused in the middle of leaving the world of the living simply to hear what she had to say. "I apologize. But you're forgetting something... He doesn't need your permission."

"Hitsugaya 'Leona', you are speaking out of-"

"Because Ichigo's got me," she said, raising her voice and cutting off the bearded man in front of her. "Leona..." she breathed, staring down at her left hand, flexing it slightly, The boney visages that covered her knuckles made a cracking noise as they bumped against each other, and she smiled, suddenly feeling reassured. "_I_ am an Arrancar. And we Arrancar not only have a way of getting around the rules, but we also have ways of getting into Hueco Mundo." From her right, Leona was sure that she heard Byakuya 'tch' under his breath, and she could clearly see Rukia's smile spread over her features.

"Leona-san," Ukitake began, stepping forwards once more. "You don't know what you-"

"I'm sorry, Ukitake-san. You were like a father to me, but Orihime is Ichigo's friend, and if he wants to save her and I can help, then I will." she explained, but she could already tell just by looking at Ukitake's deep green eyes that he hadn't really wanted to convince her to do otherwise. "Urahara has been helping me practice using Garganta. I'm sure I'll be able to rip open a hole in the sky big enough to fit both me and Ichigo."

"Hitsugaya Leona, you are going against everything-"

"I am an Arrancar, Yamamoto-dono, not a Shinigami," she murmured, her gray eyes fixed on the old man. "I'm sorry. But this is the way that it's going to be. Come on, Ichigo," she said swiftly, turning on her heal and passing by the group of Shinigami as the doors to the Senkaimon closed. "We're leaving."

"Leona!" Rukia called, and the redhead looked back to meet the eyes of both Rukia and her brother just as the doors closed. "Good luck," she breathed as the doors closed. Leona smiled; Even Byakuya had nodded.

Maybe they really would get lucky.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, sleepyhead."<p>

The voice was calm, feminine and fiery, and he immediately recognized it as Leona's. Ichigo stifled a yawn, stretching in his bed before putting two and two together- Why the hell was Leona in his room while he was asleep? Sitting bolt right up, he stopped only centimeters before coming into contact with Leona's face. She was crouched on his bed, arms resting on her knees, her stormy gray eyes watching him carefully as he moved away as quickly as possible.

"Leona, what the hell?" he screeched, but the next second she clapped her palm over his mouth, hushing him instantly.

"Idiot, it's like three in the morning. D'you want Isshin to walk in on us?"

"You say that like we're in the middle of... Something else."

"Only in your dreams, Berry-chan." she retorted, giggling girlishly as a light blush crept onto his cheeks. Quickly forcing her hand off of his face, the carrot top clambered out from under his covers, grabbing a shirt off the floor and pulling it over his head swiftly.

"What are you doing here, anyways?" he asked, recovering from his brief fit of embarrassment. Leona made a face, as if it should be obvious, but when he made no move to speak further she answered his question.

"To go to Hueco Mundo." she replied, running her fingers through her short red locks absentmindedly as she spoke. "Duh,"

"But I thought-"

"We'd wait?" she finished his sentence for him, and he scowled. "Why? The longer we wait, the less chances we have of getting Orihime. 'Sides, I'm bored. I don't bother with school anymore,"

"Maybe you should." Ichigo suggested, grabbing a pair of pants from his closet before shoving them on over his boxers. "People have been asking lots of questions."

"No. And I don't care. Also, why're you dressing? You're going as a Shinigami anyways." she observed, and in that moment Ichigo could have smacked himself. Grabbing his Substitute Shinigami badge off of his bedside table, he instantly turned into his Shinigami form. Then he grabbed Kon who, after some minor protests and less than savory comments, spat up the Mod Soul candy so that Ichigo could reanimate his currently lifeless body. "I still don't get how you can trust that thing with your life."

"Do I have a choice?" he replied, following Leona closely as she leapt out of his window. The redhead made no reply, however, and simply glanced around the empty town before peering over her shoulder.

"Race ya'," she chirped. Ichigo barely had time to reply, for the next second she had vanished in a burst of static sound and wind, leaving Ichigo alone and extremely disoriented on his rooftop. Where the hell was he even supposed to be going? "URAHARA'S!" A loud call came echoing from down the street and, for the second time that night, Ichigo felt like smacking himself in the face.

Obviously, Leona was the one to beat him to Urahara's. She gloated that it was because of the use of Sonido, though Ichigo still clung to the fact that not only had she gotten a considerable head start, but she had also pushed him off of a light post he had been perched on somewhere along the way. Though Leona vehemently denied this accusation, Ichigo had the bruise on his elbow to prove it from where he had hit the ground. Also, Leona had laughed so much that she had nearly lost her voice, which was still scratchy even as they argued.

"Ah, Leona-san, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara called upon their arrival, waving his fan in the air above his head. All seemed quiet within the underground training room, and Ichigo glanced around solemnly as he continued to follow in Leona's footsteps. A sudden movement to his right, and Ichigo found himself meeting the eyes of Ishida Uryu, who was perched on top of one of the many rock formations. His glasses shined as he moved his head.

"That's a pretty long face you have there, Kurosaki." he remarked before jumping to the ground.

"Ishida, why're you-"

"Isn't it obvious?" Another, much deeper voice came from Ichigo's opposite side, and he soon found his head snapping back and forth fast enough to give him some serious whiplash. Both Chad and Ishida were watching him closely, and Urahara was smiling girlishly out from over his fan. "To go to Hueco Mundo, Ichigo. Leona-san came and found us. We're going, too."

"Chad... Ishida, I appreciate the sentiment," Ichigo began, casting an irritated glance in Leona's direction, which she blatantly ignored, apart from violently flipping him off before he continued. "But you can't. Not with your pow-" His words ceased as Chad lunged for him, arm outstretched, and he barely managed to block the punch with Zangetsu.

"Even after that... Is my power still not enough? Believe in us, Ichigo... Don't carry the burden by yourself. That's what friends are for." Ichigo's stoney expression faltered, but the heartfelt moment was quickly shattered by none other than Leona- Who would have guessed?

"Except for Ishida. He's your rival, not your friend." Ishida said nothing, merely pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose as he regarded Leona icily. Although Ichigo really couldn't argue with that statement, now really wasn't the time.

"Yes... You are all prepared," Urahara muttered thoughtfully, finally butting into the conversation. "The question is, does Leona-san have enough power for all of you?"

"I do," Leona replied swiftly, stepping forwards. "I've been practicing. And if I... If I focus..." Her words began to falter, and the others watched with baited breath as she raised a single hand. Using only her index and and middle fingers, the very same which she always used to produce her Cero, Leona gently tapped the empty air in front of her. A small 'zip' noise met her ears, and she watched with unbridled fascination as the sky began to recede, as if a mouth was opening to swallow her whole. "... Garganta..." she breathed, narrowing her eyes in concentration as the Garganta spread wider.

"Leona-san will be able to guide you through the Garganta," Urahara said, watching with interest as the hole in the air continued to grow. "I'm sure it'll come to her."

"Urahara..." Ichigo said suddenly, stepping forward and moving closer towards Leona's Garganta. "Take care of my family... Tell them good things so that they won't worry."

"Alright. And your friends?"

"I'll apologize to them when I get back," he answered. The three of them lined up behind Leona, who was now staring into the inky abyss that was her Garganta. She sighed, steadying herself for the next step.

"Oh, Leona-san..."

"Yeah?" she whispered, stretching her arm out to pass through her Garganta. It had a light feeling, as if she was experiencing some sort of zero gravity effect. She smiled; It was perfect.

"Tread carefully whilst in Hueco Mundo."

And with that they were gone, vanishing into the black cavity***** in the sky.

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><p><strong>** The Kanji for Garganta means "Black Cavity", unlike the Spanish definition, which means Gorge or Throat.<strong>

**In this chapter not much is changed from the manga, except that since Leona is now an Arrancar, she is able to help Ichigo get to Hueco Mundo once the Captain Commander denies him the request to go after Orihime. Thus begins the Hueco Mundo arc! This is where things start to get crazy!**

**Thanks to my loyal readers and reviewers, and to all those who alert and favorite this story!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, keep 'em coming!**


	42. Part 3: Back to Black

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><p><em>"<em>_We all __die as we are born. __We always find the end __before the beginning. __If to live __means to continually search for wisdom, __we'll find the end waiting after our last lesson. __To finally see the subtlety of the end __and understand it completely __is what it means to die. __We cannot help ourselves from growing wiser. __Those who are helpless to their search for knowledge __are those who cannot transcend death.__"_

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><p>Something was wrong.<p>

Very, very wrong.

Leona couldn't quite place it. She couldn't tell whether or not the darkness that was pressing in around her was just part of the Garganta, or if she was dreaming. Only when she finally took a good look around was she sure that this was not the Garaganta. Ichigo, Ishida and Chad were no where to be seen, and after several more seconds, she realized why. Out of the dark her eyes began to make out the outline of what looked like wheat and mountains. She blinked again, and it suddenly all came into focus. It was her Inner World. Only, everything looked just a little bit darker. She suddenly found that she was very cold, and she could even see her breath come out in puffy white clouds from between her lips with every breath she took.

Leona shivered; She suddenly felt extremely uneasy. It was eerily quiet, and she couldn't see Jairo anywhere. The rapidly darkening sky stretched on for an eternity, and Leona shivered once more. The whole scene was accompanied with an odd, not to mention out of place, feeling of deja vu. Leona was quite certain that she had never seen her Inner World look this way, even if the last time she had seen it was when she had been "Hiori". What was happening, and where was Hueco Mundo? Her Inner World couldn't be Hueco Mundo, so why was she here? Her teeth were starting to chatter, and it was only after the chattering of her teeth was no longer the only noise within her Inner World did she realize that she was not alone.

A quiet rustling in the wheat suddenly alerted the slowly freezing Arrancar of another presence inside of her Inner World. Her breath hitched in her throat, and Leona slowly began to turn around. She hoped against hope that it was Jairo, but something in the back of her mind told her that she would never be that lucky. A puff of white breath temporarily clouded her vision as she allowed her eyes to travel across the open field. The wheat stretched on forever, only stopping when it finally met the murky black horizon line of her stormy Inner World. It was then that Leona finally realized just what it was she was missing.

Where was Hollow's Tree?

There were mountains. There was wheat. There was wheat, and there was sky, and there was mountains, but the tree in which Hollow had been sealed was out of sight- Gone. All that remained was a charred-looking and blackened stump, which was gnarled and chipped to a point where it almost looked like stone. Another chill simultaneously swept through her body, but this time the feeling had nothing to do with the cold pressing in on her from all sides.

"Hello, _Leona._" said a voice. The voice was decidedly masculine, and the underlying tones of superiority and power were great enough to strike fear even in the heart of someone as powerful and ruthless as Zaraki Kenpachi. Needless to say, the Arrancar froze on the spot. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her throat was dry from nervousness. The powerful aura that was now invading her mind, body and soul was foreign and unfamiliar, a power that she never would have associated with her Hollow or with Jairo. This... This was something different.

"It is good to finally meet you," the voice continued. Leona's heart rate quickened, and her limbs began to shake. Why was only a voice making her so afraid? So powerless? "_Hiori_ has told me a lot about you. About your... Reformation." Leona parted her lips, struggling to form words, but both her lack of oxygen and the fact that her throat was as dry as the Sahara prevented her from forming words apart from nonsensical stuttering. The voice chuckled darkly- Her stammering only seemed to make him all the more confident. "Do you know who I am, Leona?"

Leona shook her head no. She was so sad, so scared, so alone. She wanted Ichigo, or Toshiro, even Jairo. And, at this point, she would have even been relieved if Orihime had suddenly appeared. Anything warm and familiar for her chilled and frightened hands to grab ahold of. Anything at all. She was silently screaming inside of her head, praying for some sort of salvation or relief- Anything to get her out of this horrible situation. Her eyes began to sting, and she felt as though she were about to burst into tears. Her throat closed up and her nose tingled; A strangled sob escaped her throat as the powerful pressure filling the air around her increased. The voice chuckled again.

"I'm surprised at you. Most of my Espada's knees buckle under this sort of pressure," the voice mused, and Leona's eyes widened with the sudden insight that she had just been given into the identity of the voice's owner. "Although none of them have ever cried before... Interesting..."

"Ai... Z... En..."

The choked out syllables barely escaped her lips, but still they were audible. The wind swept them from her mouth, carrying them forwards to the empty space in front of her. Or, what had previously been empty space. For, the moment that the name left her throat, he was there; _Aizen_ was there. In her Inner World. With her. With Hollow. The brown haired man smiled serenely, his slender hand placed delicately atop the head of the bone-white lion that stood by his side. The Hollow animal snarled, its teeth kept bared the way that they always had been- A mask of brutality and viciousness. The red and gray markings decorated the otherwise colorless body, and its tale clicked as it swished back and forth, bending the wheat behind it and snapping the twigs. Leona cringed.

"So you do know." he said softly, patting Hollow's head lovingly. "I've been waiting for you, you know." When Leona said nothing, he took her silence to be questioning, so he continued. "To come to Hueco Mundo, I mean. To come to me."

_ I didn't come to you!_ she wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't let her. Her voice had vanished. Aizen smiled again, and the lion had begun to purr beneath his hand, though it kept its glowing ice blue eyes fixed on Leona.

"Ulquiorra did warn you, I think, that I was counting on you coming here." he sighed. As he spoke, he allowed his eyes to travel around Leona's Inner World, which had now faded completely to black. "Currently, you are unconscious in Hueco Mundo... Kurosaki Ichigo is most likely very concerned with your well-being." he mused, and Leona's stare hardened. She wouldn't allow him to bring Ichigo into this. She couldn't allow it. "Not to worry, I will deal with the Substitute Shinigami later... Or, my Espada will, at least. He is not so strong as to be a threat to me, yet."

_He will be..._ Leona thought to herself, and she saw Aizen's eyes noticeably flash with anger for a brief second.

"I am not worried about Kurosaki Ichigo. Once I am finished here, Soul Society will have suffered a detrimental loss. A loss that will, ultimately, lead to their downfall."

_I'm not that important,_ Leona wanted to say, but the thought only seemed to trigger something that looked like amusement in Aizen's expression.

"Perhaps," he replied, and it was only then that Leona realized that he had been reading her thoughts the entire time. Briefly she panicked, wondering how much he knew- About her friends, about Ichigo, her feelings, hopes and fears- But that all seemed so trivial, now. Aizen was _here_, in her mind; He could do whatever he wanted. And he would. She knew it. "Maybe you leaving will not be so bad for them. But you working for me... Well, that's another matter." Leona's gray eyes widened with resentment and confusion, her eyebrows furrowed in evident rage and denial. Aizen simply took this reaction with soft laughter, and the Hollow lion by his side grumbled deep in its throat. "It is inevitable... Surely you have grasped that?"

Leona shook her head swiftly, backing away, but only ended up stumbling as the pressure around her increased. "You'll have no choice. If I have assessed your new character correctly, which I have... This will be the last time you- _Leona-_ will ever want to show your face." Leona's eyes were wide as she stared up at him, confusion overpowering the anger in her expression as she pondered what on earth he could mean.

"I suppose, to begin, I should explain how all of this started... I'm sure you are more than aware of the events that transpired one hundred and ten years ago." he began, and all Leona could force her numb body to do was nod. She felt tingly, tired; In all honesty it felt like she was freezing to death. The tips of her fingers felt nothing but a dull throb, and her heart rate was now slowing. She didn't know what was happening, but she didn't like it. "But the events that lead up to the happenings of that day, I'm sure you don't recall."

The lion by his side, Hollow, ducked away from his hand. The stalks of wheat made dull "thwack"ing noises against the sides of the creature as it stalked closer towards her, and the spines that replaced the mane of a regular lion fanned out even more, like fins on a fish. Oddly enough, Leona's Hollow brought the image of a Red Lionfish to mind, rather than that of an African Lion. Its spiny visages looked almost like they were breathing as they expanded and retracted, the red catching what little light remained and glistening. Hollow's paws flattened the dry brown wheat as it walked, and Leona suddenly found herself being circled by the deadly creature. She shivered; Aizen smiled.

"My research with the Hogyouku had gone on for years... And for years... Of course, Urahara Kisuke was far ahead of me, I'm sure. That man thwarted me many a time..." he trailed off briefly, his dark eyes gleaming with a vague reminiscence. "But my experiments took a turn for the better when I stumbled upon a certain... Method." Leona flinched as Hollow brushed against her back, and a low growl escaped its throat. Goose bumps erupted over her skin, and the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. "A method that eventually lead to the wonderful creation of the group of Ex-Shinigami now known to Soul Society as 'The Vizards'."

"Vi... Vi... Zards?" Leona stumbled over her words clumsily, and she soon found herself gripping her head in pain. Her skull throbbed painfully, like someone was hitting her in the head with a sledgehammer. Aizen nodded, and with a click of his tongue the lion settled down in the wheat, curling around Leona in a way that both suggested harmony and a threat- _Move, and you're dead._

"I believe that your former lover Mugurama Kensei is a member," he explained. "And, although not an official member, Kurosaki Ichigo shares the same attributes as the Vizards."

_Attributes?_ Leona wandered, and Aizen simply nodded.

"His Inner Hollow, and the way that it manifests in him, is exactly what the Vizards are known for." Contemplating this briefly, Leona thought over all the times that she had seen his Hollow mask. If she remembered correctly, she hadn't seen it much. But she now understood what Aizen was saying- The Vizards had Hollow Masks, too, Hollow masks that enhanced their power. "Their creation was mostly thanks to me. But, indirectly, they owe it all to you." Leona froze. What... Was he saying? Thanks to her? Was this why Kensei had not wanted her to meet the Vizards, and why Shinji had always avoided her? She knew from Ichigo that he, too, was a part of the Vizards, and he had even tried to commandeer him. "Of course, the fact that the owe it to you, you owe to me."

_I don't understand,_ Leona said in her mind, and Aizen smiled in reply. He seemed thoroughly pleased with himself, even if he didn't really show it. His calm dark eyes, very much like a shark's, regarded her thoughtfully as she shivered where she sat.

"As most know, there are two surefire ways to become a Vizard- Direct use of the Hogyouku, and Shattered Shaft." Leona did not move, her gray eyes never leaving Aizen's face. He looked so passive, so pleased. He looked like he thought that he was a God. "Shattered Shaft is the method that Kurosaki Ichigo used. I now use the Hogyouku to create my Espada... How the Vizards are created, however, was different."

Leona's heart stopped. What did that method have to do with her? She dreaded hearing it, but at the same time she felt that she might cease to breath if she did not know. She had to know, but she didn't want to know.

"Currently, no one else aside from me knows the true origin of the Vizard's powers." he continued, lacing his fingers together. The lion purred loudly in Leona's ear and she flinched, but she still couldn't breathe. "_An unknown infection._ That is what most people attribute it to."

_What does that have to do with me?_ Leona's mind was racing, and her heart was thrumming in her ears. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to know- She _wanted_ to know. She needed the truth- To hear it, to remember it, to accept it.

"The truth of the matter is, Leona, that the contagion that created the Vizards... Was you." Leona was silent. Her heart, her breathing, her brain- All of it had stopped. "Hitsugaya Hiori, my greatest experiment. For years... Years... I poisoned that lonely, unstable soul of yours until you were beyond recognition, even to your own brother. And when those disappearances around the Seireitai began, no one even suspected one of their own was responsible, until it was too late, and I had perfected you." Leona could feel it now; The tears, streaming down from her wide open eyes. Kensei and Shinji... All of the Vizards. She had ruined their lives and caused their expulsion from Soul Society.

Now, she finally understood. She understood why they had left her in a coma. Why Shinji avoided her, why the Vizards hated her, and why even Kensei seemed to be afraid of her. The only thing that she couldn't understand was why they had even bothered at all. Why save her, why keep her? Why let her live? If she had been in their shoes, she might have just ended things and killed her.

"It was only afterwards that I became privy to this... Troubling alter ego of Hiori's. You have caused me quite a few problems, _Leona." _Her breathing had now returned, but now she just felt nauseous. Her eyes were downcast and devastated. The lion beside of her drew in closer, its skeletal mane scratching up against her skin. "But with this, I'm sure I'll have you out of the picture. Starting now."

And suddenly, Leona felt herself slipping. She was so, so tired. She so, so sad. The guilt pressing against her from all sides was suffocating her, and she felt the tears of her cheeks dry against her skin. Her vision was slowly narrowing down to a pinpoint, and it felt like maybe the life was leaving her.

"Sleep well, Leona." Aizen murmured, and she couldn't even flinch when she felt his hand stroke her hair. "Hiori will take it from here."

And then her life faded back to black.

* * *

><p><strong>TWIST.<strong>

**Sorry for not being able to update for a while, my job lasts until 10, and my school hours are reeeaaalllyyy weird. So, guess who has two thumbs, got her license and speaks limited French- This moi! That's right, I am now a licensed driver. I've been putting it off for like a year and a half, but I finally did it. It's awesome.**

**Anyways, this is probably the update time that this story is at now, what with my job, school and coursework. **

**So in this chapter, we learn some super crazy stuff about Leona/Hiori's past. First off, it seems that Aizen has somehow entered her mind upon her entrance to Hueco Mundo. He mentions that Ulquiorra warned her about this, which happened after her fight with Grimmjow when he told her Aizen was counting on her using the Garganta to follow them. As it turns out, the unknown infection that created the Vizards (Which is a thing, by the way, I wiki-ed Hollowfication) was contracted from Hiori herself. She's like the "virus's" host, the contagion that created the Vizards in the very beginning, 110 years ago. Aizen also mentioned her split personality, and says that Leona, the alternate personality, had caused him a lot of problems since she was the one who got rid of Hiori.**

**Now, what will happen now that "Leona" is asleep, and "Hiori" is back? CLIFF HANGER. Sorry to leave you guys with this, since I probably won't update for a while, but bear with me please! Thanks for all of the reviews and favorites I got on my last chapter, it's great to know people are reading!**

**Don't forget to review, please, and keep a look out for the next chapter!**


	43. Part 3: La Arena Blanca de Hueco Mundo

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><p><em>"Tell me I'm hated most in the world."<em>

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><p>In her short life, the consciousness that had called herself <em>Leona<em> had come to find that time was an extremely strange thing. In only a few short weeks, two entities had come to inhabit a single body, waging a war against each other for control of that one single body. The differences between these two consciousnesses were so dramatic, extreme and numerous that it seemed almost impossible to Leona that the being that she had become had only developed a few weeks ago. And yet, somehow, her time seemed to have already come to an end.

The darkness that had swallowed her existence whole still swelled and wriggled around her. It felt as if she were suspended in the air within a cage, a cage that also happened to be much too small for her body- Or her soul, or her spirit. Whatever she was. Leona felt as if she was crying, but she knew that this couldn't be at all possible, as she no longer even had a body, or eyes to use for crying, for that matter.

She didn't know what Hiori was now doing with this body which they both inhabited. Leona was sure that they were in Hueco Mundo at that very moment, and all she could do was wonder whether or not Hiori had attacked Ichigo and the others, or even if they were still alive. Her link to the world around her had been severed. Even if the entity that was _Leona_ was still around, her consciousness seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps she was dead; Leona considered this briefly, but quickly decided that this could not have been the case. After all, here she was contemplating death, and she was almost positive that dead people could not contemplate death, what with being dead and all.

So there she was, sitting alone in a never ending vat of darkness, with only her memories and the name that she had given herself for comfort. _Leona._ She knew that it meant 'Lion'. But weren't lions supposed to brave? Courageous, feared and agile- Yet here she was, a lion caged. All she could do was wait to be saved, or wait for death to come over both her and Leona.

"Leona!" Ichigo's voice was low and gruff, and even though he was keeping his tone as level as possible, it was apparent to his two conscious companions that he was panicking. "Leona, c'mon, wake up!"

"Kurosaki-"

"Shut it, Ishida, I'm handling this!" Ichigo growled back as he continued to shake Leona's shoulders frantically. Her burgundy hair tickled her shoulder as her limp head flopped back and forth with Ichigo's panicked attempts to rouse her from her sudden unconsciousness. Chad took a slow step closer, and Ichigo jumped as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Ichigo... I will carry her if you can't wake her up."

"That's not the problem..." Ichigo choked out. Laying Leona's motionless body back onto the white sands of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo leaned back on his heels and held his forehead in his hands. "What the hell's happening?" Chad remained silent, and the cool winds of Hueco Mundo swept across the open space around them. Ichigo had no idea how to explain the events that had just transpired- They hadn't even been in Hueco Mundo for five minutes and things were already going catastrophically wrong. The minute that Leona's feet had touched Hueco Mundo's white sands, she had collapsed, and she hadn't made a move since.

"Perhaps she's just ill," Ishida suggested mechanically, not really knowing what else to say, and having absolutely no desire to comfort the distressed carrot top in the first place. In a truthfulness, he couldn't explain this horrible situation better than anyone else. Leona had seemed fine until they had set foot in Hueco Mundo. This fact lead him to believe that this wasn't just some simple illness, but he was almost too afraid to voice the thoughts that were going through his mind at that very moment- This... This had something to do with Leona's recent transformation into an Arrancar. He had known that her current stability for the last few days had been too good to be true. He hadn't thought for a moment that her transformation would come without horrible repercussions- He was just horrified to find out that he had been absolutely right.

"We shouldn't have taken her," Ishida breathed, his dark eyes darting back and forth between Ichigo and Leona, who's eyes, he was now beginning to notice, were shifting quite a bit beneath their lids. Ichigo glanced up, moving his eyes out from under his hands.

"What?"

"This isn't good-"

"What are you saying?" Ichigo snapped, now straightening up and facing Ishida fully. "Leona's just collapsed, and now you're acting like she's dangerous!"

"Because she _is_ dangerous." Ishida replied coolly, his eyes darting back to Leona briefly before continuing. Leona was now beginning to stir, the tips of her fingers twitching against the stark sands. "You're close to her, so you don't want to see it, but she-"

"She could be dying, Ishida, and all you have to say is that she's dangerous?"

"Think about it, Kurosaki!" Ishida replied, his voice now rising dangerously. Leona's arms were now moving slightly, a fact that, for the moment, seemed to have escaped both Ichigo and Chad's notice. Chad was now standing behind Ichigo, his calm eyes baring down at Ishida in a cool, calculating manner. "She's turned into an Arrancar- There's got to be a reason for it, and I don't think it's a coincidence that she collapsed when we got here."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo spat, the last bit of his self control disappearing as he grabbed a fistful of Ishida's clothes and pulled him forwards. "She's working for Aizen now, is that what you think?"

"Ichigo..." Chad said monotonously, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is fucked up!" Ichigo growled, pushing Chad's hand off of him and glaring hard into Ishida's eyes. "She's been through some stuff, but that doesn't mean she's evil!"

"Kurosaki, you aren't understanding!" Ishida protested, now grabbing a fistful of Ichigo's hakama, finally retaliating to Ichigo's blatantly violent acts. "I'm not saying she'll want to! Out of all of us, you're the closest to her, I don't get how you haven't noticed it too!" Ichigo froze, and Ishida once again allowed his eyes to briefly rest on Leona's limp body. His eyebrows shot up, and he grabbed Ichigo's wrist a second later, dragging him back along with him as Leona's body stirred back into the conscious world.

"Leona- Hey!" Ichigo growled deep within his throat, yanking his wrist violently from Ishida's grasp. The Quincy desperately tried to grab for Ichigo's hand yet again, but was unable to hold him back. The orange haired Shinigami was already at Leona's side as the groggy redhead sat upright, rubbing her head gingerly as if the cause for her previous unconsciousness had been a sudden blow to the head. "Leona... Leona, you okay?" Ichigo murmured, reaching out his hand to brush a stray strand of Leona's burgundy hair behind her ear. She flinched, and Ishida narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Hitsugaya-san." Ishida muttered coolly, exchanging glances with Chad, who also had a worried expression on his face. "How are you feeling?" The girl did not answer, and flinched yet again when Ichigo placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Just give her a minute, Ishida, she-"

"Why the fuck are you touching me?"

The silence that followed this outburst was tense and heavy with apprehension. Ichigo's hand still remained on her shoulder, whether he had yet to react to Leona's previous sentence, or Ichigo was just too shocked to make a movement, Ishida wasn't so sure. Leona's normally stormy gray eyes were now harsh, sharp and calculating. Her eyebrows knitted together in the middle of her face as she stared down at Ichigo's resting hand.

"Um... Leona, are you feeling alright?" Ichigo murmured, his brown eyes traveling slowly over in Ishida's direction. Leona's lips twitched downwards in a serious frown as she continued to stare angrily down at Ichigo's hand.

"Kurosaki... I think you should back up." Ishida said softly, taking his own advice into consideration as he backed up several feet. By now, Ichigo seemed to be coming around to Ishida's warnings, and he swiftly removed his hand from Leona's shoulder. Standing up in one fluid movement, Ichigo backed up several steps, never taking his eyes off of Leona.

For several long minutes passed, no one uttering a single word, all eyes on Leona as she sat motionless in the sand. The only noises heard were the heavy breaths coming from the group as they waited with baited breath, and the shifting of the white sands of Hueco Mundo. A look of both sadness and confusion clouded Ichigo's features as he stared unwaveringly at Leona, who was now shifting her eyes between Chad, Ishida, and Ichigo himself. It was only after several more minutes of pure silence that she made any noise at all.

And the noise was that of laughter.

This one simple act was all that was needed to confirm Ishida's suspicions. Ichigo watched with barely concealed horror as Leona's mouth opened wide in malicious laughter. Tossing her head back, the girl in front of them continued to cackle evilly, not seeming to care about the three horrified pairs of eyes now staring at her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath she took when at last she ceased her laughter. Without it, the foursome was once again left with yet another tense silence before Leona finally stood up straight.

"Well..." she began finally, brushing off the back of her hakama swiftly, the stark sands falling off of her a settling back into the ground. "It's good to be back."

Ichigo, Ishida and Chad all exchanged nervous glances, and Ishida was surprised to find that Chad's arm had already transformed into it's black and red form, which he only used when he planned on attacking. Seeing the usually stoic and reserved Chad already at the ready to attack someone that he normally viewed as a friend.

"Leona, what's going on?" Ichigo asked, and even though he sounded quite calm, Ishida could clearly see his hand twitching, already slowly creeping towards the hilt of his Zanpakuto. The girl's gray eyes followed his voice, meeting Ichigo's brown orbs as she straightened her spine a little more. The white bone mask that covered her cheekbone glistened in the light reflected off of the sand around her, and her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her dagger-shaped Zanpakuto, which she withdrew swiftly, holding it in front of her and pointed straight at Ichigo.

"I'm not too sure what the hell Leona's up to," she replied, her words hissing out from between her lips. "But as for me, _Hiori_, I think I'm about to kill you." Ichigo's eyes widened as the white sand whipped around the girl's feet, her power swelling up around her as she prepared to release her Zanpakuto. "**_Consume and purify, Jairo!_**" The small dagger elongated, once again taking on the shape of the double-sided spear that came with Shikai. Hiori smiled brightly, reveling in the power that she now wielded with her own hands. "Amazing..." she breathed, sighing as she stared up at the shining tip of Leona's Shikai. "So this is my power now?... Man, I've been missing out with all that ice shit I've been pulling for the last century,"

"... Where's Leona?" Ichigo growled, glowering venomously all the while as Hiori twirled the spear carefully through her long, thin fingers. A soft, chirping laugh escaped her lips, but the lightness of it made the sound no less vile than it had been before.

"She's gone, I-chi-go," she sang, slowly dancing in a circle in the sand on her tiptoes as she traced a circle in the sand. "She's up here..." Hiori continued. As she spoke, she touched a single finger to her forehead, tapping her skin lightly with her fingertips. "Crying." With an enormous growl, Ichigo unraveled his Zanpakuto, the white cloth pooling around his feet as he held his sword in front of him.

"**_Zangetsu!_**" he cried. A sudden blast of energy pushed both Ishida and Chad slightly backwards, leaving both him and Hiori standing alone in the sand. The redhead sneered, her cloudy eyes leering at Ichigo as he held his Zanpakuto up. "What did you do with her?" Snarling, Ichigo charged, a metallic clang filling the air as his sword collided with the stone pole of Hiori's spear.

"What're you gonna do?" Hiori taunted, pushing Ichigo back almost effortlessly. "Kill me? She's in here too, you know. We share this body,"

"So how the hell did _you_ end up getting it?" Ichigo asked, stepping forwards a little more so that the tip of Zangetsu was barely touching Hiori's Zanpakuto. Hiori smiled, as if this had been some sort of particularly heartfelt question of some kind.

"Because Leona knows what I did." she answered finally. Lowering Jairo, Hiori took several steps back, the soles of her shoes shifting the sand below her, the quiet sifting sound that the sand made filling the silence between the two bright-haired teens. "She knows what I did, and now she's _sad._" On that last word, Hiori's voice became mocking, a pseudo-sorrowful expression covering her features. "Poor wittle Weona can't face the twuth, and now she's _cwying_." Ichigo's expression flickered, his self control wavering as Hiori's voice became increasingly more mocking. "You can say goodbye to your little girlfriend, Shinigami. Because I'm here to stay."

And with those final words, Hiori vanished in a sudden gust of sand, leaving Ichigo standing in the middle of Hueco Munod, Zangetsu laying in the sand beside him. Chad remained silent as Ishida carefully pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Perhaps this isn't the time, Kurosaki, but I hate to say I told you so."

* * *

><p>"Why the fuck is this place so damn <em>white<em>?"

Aizen pursed his lips from his place in front of Hiori, who was now dressed head to toe in white. Her white bandeau top left most of her Hollow features undisguised, and her long white hakama pants left her shoes concealed. Her hair, which had previously been shoulder length, was now styled in a choppy pixie cut*****. Jairo sat at her hip, held in a short black scabbard that was shorter than it was, leaving the handle hanging out.

Looking around her, all Hiori could see was white. White, white and more white. Ever since she had appeared in Hueco Mundo, the only color she seemed to have encountered was white. That's all she could see on the outside, and that's all she could see in here. She had already guessed that this whole obsession with white was more than likely Aizen's not-so-subtle or clever way of countering Soul Society's standard black garb and decoration. Hiori 'tsk'ed quietly under her breath, wiping the immaculately clean surface of one of the white tables that inhabited the room.

"You asked for me, Aizen-sama," Hiori's eyes rose up from the white table, coming to rest on the pink haired man that had just entered the room. Glasses decorated his face, and he too was clothed in all white, just as she had been upon her arrival only a few hours ago. She scratched her lower back absentmindedly, her new tattoo still irritating her skin somewhat. The large Alpha A now decorated her lower back, the fresh ink glistening in the bright lights in the lab.

"Yes... Szayel, if you would, I'd like for you to show Hiori that experiment I had you begin," Szayel smirked, stepping forwards and stretching his white gloves across his fingers as he did so.

"I see." he murmured, the heels of his shoes clicking on the cold floor as he walked closer to Hiori. "So this is Indigena. The first. The alpha," He ceased his ramblings here, stopping his hand just in front of Hiori's face as Aizen cleared his throat pointedly. "Truly a remarkable creature." he finished. Stepping around her, he walked towards the white curtain in the corner, and beckoned Hiori to follow behind him. Hiori complied, her bare feet padding along on the tiled floor behind him, her steps almost silent compared to his for lack of footwear.

The curtains slid apart, revealing a clear glass tube filled with some sort of liquid. Floating in the center of the tube was a girl- Her auburn locks barely touched the skin on her neck as she stayed suspended in the liquid around her. A wide array of tubes trailed out of her mouth and up to the top of the tube, but where they went from there, Hiori wasn't too sure. Her gray eyes widened as she stepped closer to the girl in the tube, the pads of her fingers touching the cool glass as she attempted to peer into the girl's closed eyes.

"What is she?" she asked, attempting to conceal her curiosity but failing. Szayel snickered, but he was cut off swiftly by Aizen, who had now appeared in between the two of them.

"She was a human- A girl with a special power that only some humans possess."

"... Power...?" Hiori repeated, not taking her eyes off of the floating girl.

"It is caused when the human's mother is attacked by a Hollow during pregnancy." Aizen explained, his calm eyes looking sideways to gage Hiori's expressions. "The aftermath of the attack, if the mother survives, is the Hollow's power that is left behind being absorbed into the human child. Such was the case with this girl."

"Huh." Hiori replied, tapping the glass with her fingernails. "Weird."

"This girl was once human, but now- Genetically speaking, at least- She is like a sister to you."

"What?"

"I mean that we have altered her DNA in a way that makes her genetically similar to you- More so than her own parents, now." Aizen continued, a triumphant smile crossing his features briefly. "She is Omega." Hiori raised an eyebrow, not at all liking where this was going.

"Whatever." she said dismissively, turning on her bare heel and walking towards the door. "I'll always be the strongest." And with that, she left the room, leaving Szayel and Aizen alone with the girl in the tube, the Omega sign tattoos on the palms of her hands glistening in the light that filtered through the liquid around her.

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><p><strong>*With Hiori's new haircut, I was picturing something like Ai's hair in the manga Himitsu no Ai-chan. You can look at that if you want to know how to picture it.<strong>

**I know I haven't updated in a long, long time. But thanks so much for your patience! As always, read and review please!**


	44. Part 3: The Panther and the Lion

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><p><em>"We fear what does not exist."<em>

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><p>Dull white light illuminated the small room, casting shadows on the pure white walls that stood all around the single bed within the room. It was quiet, with only the whispering of the sands just outside of the walls of Las Noches and the occasional footstep to fill the noiseless void. A young girl lay, face down, on a pillow; Her face was buried within the stark white cloth that surrounded her, wine-red hair standing out like a blood stain on the pure white sheets. The short tousles fell into her eyes, which were still open, though she didn't seem to care. At first glance, it may have even appeared as if the girl were dead.<p>

But, upon closer inspection, one would have been able to see her breathing. It was barely audible, despite the lack of noise, the ragged draws of breath rattling within the girl's chest only for a moment before it was released back into the air around her. Cloudy gray eyes caught the light and narrowed, aimed straight at the darkest corner of the room.

"Get lost."

These were the first two words that the redhead had spoken in a good while, ever since she had gone to her room, right after Aizen had gone off to "greet" Orihime. He had explained to her, only briefly, that tomorrow he and his Espada, her included, would be allowed to witness the astonishing powers which were held within the body of the human girl called Orihime. Hiori growled despite herself; How she loathed that stupid walnut haired human.

"How am I supposed to do that?" replied a voice, identical to the one that had just spoken. Hiori grimaced. How she loathed _her_. The list of things that she loathed in this world, Hiori was quickly finding, was rapidly overtaking the list of things that she didn't in numbers. "You're the one who brought me here. Send me away, I don't want to be here, either. It's to-"

"_Fucking white._" Hiori finished her sentence for her, and she glowered as the owner of the second voice stepped from the shadows. "I know you're not Leona. You're still crying."

"I know that,"

"So get lost."

"Make me."

The identical pairs of eyes were now locked, neither wanting to be the one to break the stare that had now become some form of non-violent warfare. The girl that stood across from Hiori looked exactly identical to her; Short, choppy burgundy hair, stormy eyes and a tan complexion. The only noticeable difference was her facial expression, which seemed to house less hatred and self-loathing than that of Hiori's. Other than that, the girls might as well have been the same person- They _were_ the same person.

"What are they going to do with Orihime?"

"How the hell should I know?" Hiori spat, fighting her initial instincts that told her to stand up and slap the red haired bitch across from her. A small part of her wondered whether or not it would hurt her, as well. "Besides, you don't like her either."

"I would never let Aizen use Orihime like that."

"Whatever, stupid, now leave me alone."

"Until you send me away, I'll never leave you alone." Leona said softly as she took a step or two closer. "By the way... What's with that new _sister_ of ours?" Hiori flinched. She knew... Of course she knew, she was just another part of her, so how could she not know? "Why Omega... And why the heck did you get that skanky Alpha trampstamp tattooed on my body?"

"_My_ body."

"_Our body._"

The two lapsed in to yet another tense silence. After several minutes, Leona ran her thin fingers through her newly layered hair, enjoying the texture of the thin locks as they ran across her skin. At least, that's what Hiori assumed she felt. She was ninety-nine percent sure that this was a hallucination of some kind, no doubt brought on by the ceaseless white insanity that was Las Noches. Finally Leona made some sort of noise in her throat, looking up to at last meet Hiori's eyes once again.

"I thought you didn't like short hair,"

"I don't, but this haircut sure beat that one you had." Hiori replied briskly, baring her teeth in response to Leona's glare. "We- _I_... Looked like I was about nine years old."

"Did not," Leona argued, folding her arms as she did so. She, too, wore the same white clothes as Hiori, and the clicking of the Hollow bone on her arm against the bone on her stomach briefly filled the room.

"Did." Hiori replied, making sure that her tone indicated that she wished for this matter to be dropped in a big way. Leona quieted, biting her lip to keep from letting anything slip past. "And it's not a 'trampstamp', it's my rank. I'm Alpha... Or Indegina, or whatever. I'm the first... Like the boss, or something."

"Being boss doesn't make you too good for it to be a trampstamp." Leona retorted, snickering to herself as the look of outrage on Hiori's face returned once more. "You don't get to rename the thing just because Aizen Sosuke put you in charge of his fucked up hybrid army,"

"Whatever, I'm through listening to you," Hiori said with finality, at last rolling over in her bed and closing her eyes. "I mean it, get lost." For a moment all was silent, and Hiori was sure that Leona's ghost had vanished. But a moment later, the silence was once again broken by the voice that they both shared.

"You need to watch out, Hiori," she said warningly, but all Hiori did was sneer to herself as she heard Leona's voice begin to fade. "This is bigger than us. Omega... She's trouble." And then she was gone, the silence of her room enveloping Hiori once again.

"Fucking bitch."

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><p>"Welcome to our castle... Las Noches."<p>

From where Hiori stood, directly behind Aizen's throne, out of sight, she could see straight into Inoue Orihime's eyes. Fear, anger, confusion, panic... It was all there, plain as day, emotions which Hiori felt were useless for any being. Emotions like those were for weak creatures, that was why the Arrancar had none other than anger; That was the way she saw it.

"Your name is Inoue Orihime, correct?" Aizen said, resting his cheek on his fist momentarily. Hiori rolled her eyes- He knew this already, he was just dragging it out because he knew it was killing her. Orihime answered with an almost inaudible 'yes', which was followed by a sudden, almost crushing increase in spiritual pressure. It took all of Hiori's willpower for her not to crumble right then and there. "I hate to ask this of you so soon... But I would like you to demonstrate your ability now. It seems that there are still some who... Are not in agreement with our new guest." At this, Hiori's eyes widened, glancing around. Her eyes finally sought out a devastated looking Espada, the small boy's large eyes glowering up at Aizen in anger, though he seemed to be doing his very best to hide it. "Isn't that so, Luppi?"

"Of course," he replied tiredly, the bandages on his head now apparent to Hiori. She snickered; These idiot Espada had gotten all beaten up just to bring one lousy human back to their lair. "To say that our whole battle was to bring back this one woman... I can't accept that."

"How embarrassing..." Hiori whispered to herself, ignoring the loud onslaught of spluttering that Luppi replied with, and instead focussing her attention on her fingernails as Aizen continued his conversation.

"That is my fault... Though I did not expect for you to get torn up this badly." Hiori snickered, meeting Luppi's eyes briefly as they glowered in her direction. "Now, Orihime, in order to test your abilities, I'd like for you to restore Grimmjow's left arm." Gray eyes swept across the scene in front of her, until at last they fell on the blue haired Arrancar in the farthest corner of the room. Her eyes narrowed, but not from suspicion... This was the Arrancar that she had fought with as Leona. It seemed, however, that the man had yet to spot her, for he had not made any sort of outburst regarding her presence, as she was sure he would have had she been perfectly visible.

"Yeah right!" Luppi chortled, a violently happy sort of expression marring his features. "Aizen-sama, there's now way! His arm was burned up, you can't repair what doesn't exist! What is she, a God?" At this, Hiori's eyes widened. Just what _was_ Inoue Orihime. No one understood her power, not even Orihime herself, and if she could repair an arm that had been incinerated, just what else was it that she could get away with using that power of hers? Orihime took a step closer to Grimmjow, despite Luppi's disbelieving arguments, holding out her hands as a bright shield of light appeared between them.

"Now, Grimmjow," Aizen began, cutting Luppi off before he could continue shouting at Orihime. "When you get this left arm of yours back... I suppose you can assist the Indigena," A small motion that Hiori guessed was her queue to step forwards. I triumphant smile warped her features as she took in Grimmjow's surprised expression. Hiori watched as his body tensed, but he controlled himself, waiting for Orihime to finish the job. His arm was slowly returning, and even though she loathed to admit it, she had couldn't help but be amazed at the extent of Orihime's powers.

The blue haired Arrancar growled, glowering venomously in Hiori's direction. But Hiori could only watch in awe as the muscles of his left arm flexed. Somehow, Orihime had returned something that no longer even existed- The arm had been incinerated, for fuck's sake. And, yet, there it was. Just as it always had been. The Arrancar called Luppi stared at it, wide-eyed and looking more than horrified, while Aizen simply smiled. Ignoring Grimmjow's prior refusal, he simply continued to stare at his miraculous new arm, not seeming to care whether or not his orders were even being listened to at all.

"This is pure... _Event Rejection." _he said softly, though his voice lost none of its impact. Hiori's breath hitched in her throat. Never had she, or even Leona, for that matter, guessed that Orihime's power was something so... Immense. "She can easily supercede any event that God himself has designated to occur on our ground level. This power... It violates the realm of God."

Hiori could only continue to stare, her short burgundy locks shifting around her cheeks as she met Orihime's eyes for the first time. She was scared- Someone with such a power was actually _afraid._ For someone so powerful, she couldn't even get herself out of this horrible mess that she was in. It just didn't make any sense.

"Orihime doesn't know her own power," explained a voice, and Hiori nearly jumped. Beside her stood Leona, the identical body shimmering a wavering in and out of focus as she moved. No one else showed any signs of registering her presence, a fact that only continued to make Hiori feel all the more uncomfortable. "You should've been able to guess at least that. I mean, look at her. She's like a lost puppy,"

"Well I certainly won't be helping her," Hiori whispered bitterly, just quietly enough to ensure that no one heard. Leona chuckled softly, shifting her eyes to give Hiori a knowing look- Hiori shifted uncomfortably.

"Did I ask you to?"

"Well, no, but you were gonna." Leona simply laughed again, this time louder, and Hiori flinched noticeably. Aizen's eyes briefly flickered in her direction, but after noticing nothing out of place, he directed his attention in front of him again.

"So, Grimmjow, you will be acting as the soul member of my _Indígena's _fraccion-"

Before anything more could be said, Grimmjow's brand-new fist had been plunged straight through Luppi's chest. It was then that Hiori realized what had happened- The tattooed number six on Grimmjow's back was explanation enough. Blood spattered against the tile floors, Grimmjow's wild expression reminding Hiori almost of a shark attack. The sight of the blood sent a tingling sensation through her body, and she trembled with excitement- But a disapproving noise from her right brought her out of her euphoria.

"You're disgusting," Leona hissed, but a moment later she was gone, and Hiori had directed her attention back to the blue haired Arrancar in front of her.

"A simple yes or no answer would have been just fine," she remarked snarkily, stepping down slowly from her place beside of Aizen. "I wasn't aware you disliked me so much. My feelings are hurt."

"Fuck off, _Indígena," _Grimmjow spat, turning his back as Aizen waved his hand in dismissal. Hiori smirked as the other Arrancar dispersed. Something about this... Blue haired devil just intrigued her. It was really too bad that he had turned down the offer to be her 'fraccion', as Aizen had called it. It had sounded oh-so interesting.

"Now, is that really any way to talk to the first of your species?" she replied sassily, maneuvering around Grimmjow and pressing her back against the cool tile walls. The annoyingly pure-white color of Las Noches had been temporarily forgotten to her, and now all of her attentions were focussed solely on the man in front of her. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Leona, arms crossed, sadness and anger marring her features. "You should be nicer to me, Grimmjow, who knows what Aizen could do if-"

"Listen up, _Indígena,_" he roared, and the wind was knocked from Hiori's chest as he thrust her up against the tile wall. A small cracking sound met her ears, but she knew not to be worried. She was stronger. _She_ was the one in control- This man was just a soldier, a drone. Worthless. "I don't like you- If you like me, well, that's _your_ fucking problem, so deal with it!"

"She really doesn't take rejection too well," Leona sneered from behind him, and Hiori bit back a sassy retort.

"I see. That's too bad- Maybe I could have helped with your unfortunate position as the _Sexta_ Espada." Hiori sneered as she pried Grimmjow's fingers from her collar. "Because, let's face it Grimmjow, six really isn't a very impressive number." Growling once more, Grimmjow pushed her back, snarling through his teeth in anger. His unruly blue locks hung in his eyes, which were fixed directly on Hiori, filled with rage.

"Fuck you, firecrotch," he retorted, turning on his heel and storming down the hallway. "I fucking liked you better when you were on _their_ side!"

* * *

><p>The white moon of Hueco Mundo hung high in the night sky, illuminating the never ending expanse of white sand that surrounded Las Noches. Gray eyes stared up at it through the barred windows, never blinking as she continued to stare aimlessly up at the sky. A sudden banging noise caused her to jump, and she whipped her head in the direction of the door just as someone came bursting through it.<p>

"Aizen said to watch you." The voice of Grimmjow Jeagerjaques pierced the silent room, echoing off of the large walls surrounding them. The red head smirked thoughtfully, her gray eyes now fixed on Grimmjow instead of the moon.

"What, does the almighty Aizen not trust his _Indígena?" _she asked, amusement lacing her voice. Grimmjow's brow furrowed- Something about her voice was different. "It's all just as well, I'm sure she was just planning on overthrowing him if he wins this thing,"

"... What?"

"I really wouldn't put it past her- She's quite the back-stabbing bitch, you know." The girl in front of him had now turned to fully face him, and Grimmjow could now see an expression that he recognized. It belonged to the girl who he had fought with back in the human world- The confused Shinigami-turned-Arrancar who had no idea just what she meant to Aizen. But the whole thing made _no fucking sense._

"What the fuck is up with you, you stupid bitch?" Grimmjow growled, folding his arms and standing in front of the door. The girl simply smiled, but not in a happy sort of way- Just in a way that suggested he had just told a joke.

"She lets me out at night." she explained, taking a small step forwards. "I don't really think she realizes they aren't dreams, though." Grimmjow simply snorted in reply, not really caring what sort of psychological bullshit this _Indígena _chick was going through. She could be batshit insane for all he cared, so long as she didn't try to kill herself on his watch. Then he'd be in some seriously deep shit. "She likes you, you know." she said, looking Grimmjow up and down before continuing. "Not sure why."

"Because I'm fucking hot, that's why," Grimmjow replied, as though the answer should be obvious. "Not like you'd notice, you're too busy trying to get that fucking carrothead to notice you."

"If you're talking about Ichigo, I'm not-"

"That guy's a shitty excuse for a Shinigami, what the hell do you see in him?"

"What the hell do you see in _her_?"

"Not a whole lot." Grimmjow replied honestly, and the girl paused. This girl... She had a different name, but Grimmjow just couldn't remember it. Hell, he didn't even remember the _Indígena__'s _name, he'd just call her bitch if he ever needed to get her attention. "Strong, though." The girl simply snorted, rolling her eyes at his answer.

"Oh, well, she's a total bitch but so long as she's hot and strong-"

"I don't think I said she was hot." Grimmjow corrected, earning himself a heated glare from the girl in front of him. He rolled his eyes- He wasn't about to take it back.

"Bastard."

"Whatever," he replied, sitting down in the high-backed white chair by the doorway. "You two are a lot more alike than you'd like to admit."

"As if!" she spluttered indignantly, though Grimmjow simply nodded in reply. "Tell me one way we're alike,"

"You're both a pain in my ass." Grimmjow said, growling under his breath again. The rage-filled expression on the girl's face was rapidly worsening. Parting her lips, it looked as if she was preparing to chew him out, but she didn't get the chance. The next moment, a crushing reiatsu filled the space around them, and the two of them turned their attention to the door. The girl's expression flickered, her angry mask briefly turning into a smile.

"He came-"

The next second, the smile vanished, her eyes flickering momentarily as if she were having a seizure. Grimmjow stood, his hand on the doors, as he watched the red head's face. Her eyes opened, her gray eyes no longer kind, but vengeful and hateful. She growled audibly, and Grimmjow could only watch as she grabbed her Zanpakuto from her bed, tying it to her waist before she stared straight ahead, eyes fixated on the double doors in front of her.

"... So, they've come."

* * *

><p><strong>The timing of events in this chapter was a little different than in the manga. Since Leona had the ability to use Garganta, Ichigo and the others didn't need to wait for Urahara to make his own, and therefor arrived in Hueco Mundo earlier than they did in the manga.<strong>

**In this chapter, we see the character of "Hiori" begin to slip, either suffering hallucinations of her alternate personality of "Leona", or switching all together, like when she sleeps. In these instances, however, "Hiori" isn't even aware of what is happening, usually mistaking the occurrences for dreams. These symptoms suggest that the line that divides "Leona" and "Hiori" is slowly slipping, which will inevitably end in one of them enveloping the other for good.**

**I put some funny little Grimmjow moments in there at the end- Let me be clear that this does not, in any way, hint at some sort of GrimmxLeo/Hio future. Especially since Grimmjow dies tragically and all. It's meant to just be a sort of eye-opeing friendship, which will become more clear later. Hope you all enjoyed it though, and I hope I captured his personality so that there was as little OOC-ness as possible.**

**Don't forget to review, and look out for my next chapter!**


	45. Part 4: Volviendo Loco

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><p><em>"We as one are not intertwined. As two: do not share the same form. Of the third: we simply don't have eyes. Of the fourth: we have no hope in that direction. At the fifth, therein lies the heart"<em>

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><p><em><strong>Binda Blinda: Part 4<strong>_

_**Las Noches**_

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><p>"Underground tunnel number twenty-two just collapsed."<p>

"Twenty-two? That's quite far from here, isn't it?"

"I know. It would have been much more interesting had they just broken into the throne room all at once,"

"Hyahaaa! That'd be great!"

"You're so noisy... Look, I'm still sleepy, so don't be so loud all the time. Got it?"

"Good morning, Espada," A deep, powerful voice broke through the babble that had previously filled the room. All ten of the Espada looked up from one another, abandoning all previous forms of conversations, all eyes now turned to Aizen's. Even Hiori, who leaned against the head of the table with no chair, had ceased a silent fuming, instead choosing to aim a carefully guarded glare in their leader's direction. "We have been attacked by the enemy. First, though, I suppose we should warm up some tea,"

Hiori scoffed, a noise only just audible, removing herself from the head of the table to make room for Aizen, who sat down in a chair of his own shortly after. To be perfectly honest, Hiori was disappointed. All this was happening, and instead of fighting, they were being served tea. _Tea._ The steaming mugs were placed before each of them one by one, the white clay clattering against the pure white tabletop as they were placed in front of them. Hiori had taken her seat on the left of Grimmjow, who looked less than pleased by the new seating arrangements.

"Everyone should have received their tea, yes?" Aizen drawled, swirling his spoon through the hot liquid within his mug. "Now then... Drink, and listen to me. Kaname, the reflection."

"Yes."

A moment later, some sort of portal opened in the middle of the table, drawing in the attention of the surrounding Espada. Within it, Hiori could clearly see the forms of Ichgio, Ishida and Chad; She pursed her lips. Leona would certainly be pleased, and she didn't even want to think about Orihime's reaction. Surely she already knew. The crushing reiatsu they had brought along with them was too great to go unnoticed, though its power was still less than impressive when compared to that of the combined reiatsu of the Espada.

"The names of these three intruders are as follows: Ishida Uryuu, Yasutora Chad, and Kurosaki Ichigo." At the mention of Ichigo's name something within Hiori's mind stirred- A feeling that made her quite uncomfortable. Beside her, she felt Grimmjow squirm with anticipation- He had a bone to pick with Ichigo, of that much she was sure.

"And these people are...?" A strange, masked Espada down the table questioned, peering curiously into the reflection.

"What the hell?" continued an older Espada, his withered-looking skin quivering as he spoke. "You said we had an enemy attack, I was expecting something different. These people are just kids!"

"They don't look too interesting," said Szayel, his glasses shimmering slightly. "Not one bit." he continued, smirking rather obviously in Hiori's direction, who frowned and folded her arms. The Espada called Yammy made a scathing noise in the back of his throat, glaring angrily into the reflection.

"Do not underestimate them," Aizen warned, smiling around the table fondly at his Espada. "These humans are known as the _Ryoka_. Our very own Alpha here can tell you all about it- She was one of them." Hiori flinched again, her gray eyes blazing as she scowled in Aizen's direction, not even bothering to hide it. "These three humans were part of a group that challenged the Gotei Thirteen."

"What are they here for?" a dark skinned Espada inquired calmly, his eyes seeking out Hiori. Clearly, he meant for this question to be directed at her. Leaning forwards, the redhead turned her attentions down the table.

"For Inoue of course." she replied icily, not even bothering to keep the annoyance from her voice. "They're here to save their precious friend."

"And not you?" replied another Espada, the very same one that Hiori remembered that Leona had fought with back in the human world. His sneer seemed to be permanently plastered to his face, slanted eyes never wavering as he stared down the table at Hiori. "How sad. I suppose they know a lost cause when the see one- Looks like they'll give up easy."

"Haven't you heard anything?" retorted a severe-looking blonde from across the table. "Aizen-sama's speech confirms that they are not to be taken lightly."

"I didn't mean it like that at all, for fuck's sake!" Nnoitra griped, growling in the blonde's direction. "The hell is your problem, Hallibel, you scared or somethin'?" The blonde's brilliant green eyes narrowed, and it was at this point that Hiori spoke up once more.

"It seems that Hallibel simply knows when to be cautious, you creepy bastard," she hissed as she rested her chin on her fists. "I always find that the ones who hide behind their harsh words are the ones who are the most afraid,"

"Then what the hell does that say about you, huh?" It was Grimmjow who had spoken, and Hiori peered up to meet his turquoise eyes. His arms were folded, and he was glaring down his nose at her in a manner that suggested that he was better than her and he knew it. And Hiori didn't like it one bit- In fact, she fucking _hated_ it. Nnoitra snickered, but Hiori couldn't quite find her words. Something in her mind was stirring once again, and her heart rate increased. _Leona_ was what was stirring- This much she knew. But something told her that Grimmjow knew it, too. Something in the way he was looking at her told her that he knew exactly what was up- And he was making sure she knew that he knew.

A moment later, however, Grimmjow had risen from his seat. The legs of the chair scraped against the white floors, and the soles of his sandals clicked against the floor as he walked.

"Where are you going, Grimmjow?" Tousen said softly, though the hint of a threat in his voice did not go unmissed by any of the Espada.

"Out to kill," Grimmjow replied, pausing momentarily to await Tousen's reaction. "To smash those little bugs that came here. The faster the better, right?"

"Aizen-sama has yet to order anything of the sort." Tousen said. "Return to your seat."

"It is for Aizen-sama's sake that I destroy them!" Grimmjow growled, turning his wild expression on Tousen.

"Grimmjow," Aizen's voice seemed to calm him, and Grimmjow froze where he stood. "I appreciate you eagerness to fight on my behalf, but I still have much to speak of. I'd very much like it if you sat back down," Grimmjow still didn't move, and Hiori suddenly found her eyes widening in... Fear? Fear, for Grimmjow? She did a quick double-take, gaging her own reaction momentarily. Why was she feeling such things for a man- No, an _Espada_ that she barely knew? Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt the growing presence in her mind stir once more. "Sorry, I did not hear your reply... Grimmjow."

Hiori flinched as she felt Aizen's reiatsu come crashing down onto Grimmjow. His knees buckled, crashing down onto the tile floors painfully, and he flinched beneath the power of Aizen's spiritual pressure.

"I see... It seems that you have understood me," Aizen sighed, rising from his seat as Grimmjow crouched on the floor, heavy breaths escaping his lips. "Espada, as you all see, we have three enemies. While there is no need to underestimate them, there is also no need to make an uproar. Return to your rooms and act as though everything is normal. Simply wait for the enemy to come to you. Do not be frightened." Grimmjow peered up from his position of the floor, the hatred in his eyes clear as he stared up at their leader. Hiori shivered.

"No matter what may befall us, as long as you walk by my side, an enemy that may stand up to us shall never exist."

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><p>Hiori wasn't sure how much time had passed. One, two hours, maybe. All the passing minutes simply seemed to run together, and all she could do was sit. Sit, and wait. The distant rumblings and echoing crashes in the distance had been causing her to shiver and shake for quite a while, but for some reason she just couldn't move an inch.<p>

She could feel that reiatsu- _his_ reiatsu. Ichigo's spiritual pressure flooded through the walls of Las Noches like a toxic gas, and no matter how hard Hiori tried not to breathe it in, she couldn't help but feel it.

"What's wrong with me?" she whispered, balling her hands into fists as she spoke. There came no reply- Though she had been expecting one. For some reason, Leona was nowhere to be seen, and Ichigo's reiatsu was drawing ever closer. She had felt him defeat his last opponent- An Arrancar that had been stripped of his rank as an Espada months before. And now she was alone, and she could feel him drawing nearer.

"What's wrong with me?" she said again, standing up and looking around the room. "_What the fuck is wrong with me!" _Hiori's voice cracked and echoed off of the walls of her room. Hot, angry tears stung at her eyes, and she sobbed despite herself. She felt weak and broken. And she hated it. Her sad expression quickly turned to one of outrage- This was all _his _fault. He was the one who had broken her, ruined her, split her in two. Literally.

Stiffening, Hiori strained her ears, focussing on the noises outside of her door. The room in which Aizen had chosen for her to reside stood alone within an enormous, echoing chamber, the only door within the enormous room. From where she stood, she could hear what sounded like footsteps making their way down the stairs, finally stopping when they came to the middle of the room. Hiori tensed, glowering at the pure white tile floors; She knew who it was. She didn't even have to guess, or feel his reiatsu, even.

It was Ichigo.

Without so much as a second thought Hiori turned on her heel, swiveling all the way around before marching straight towards the tall double doors on the opposite side of the room. The reiatsu outside grew stronger, and she heard him call out a familiar name- 'Rukia'. Hiori flinched, pausing momentarily with her fingertips on the doorknob. So Rukia was there, too? The tone of Ichigo's voice had not sounded happy. It had sounded panicked.

Pushing her fears for Rukia aside- Though she refused to accept that she felt anything for Rukia at all- Hiori turned the doorknob, pulling open the doors and allowing a rush of cool air from the atrium-like room just beyond them to make its way into her chamber. Ichigo stopped calling out to Rukia instantly, and she felt him freeze on the spot; She smirked. She'd make him pay for this horrible situation she was in. She'd make him feel just what he had done to her, and then she would kill him.

_Don't hurt him._

The presence that had been stirring within the least-used depths of her mind was awake once again, and Hiori had to work to shut it up. She couldn't have Leona's consciousness get in her way- Not now. Not ever.

Ichigo continued to stay still, Hiori still remaining barely out of sight. She could hear his breathing, even from where she stood, and all she could do was sneer. Was he afraid, she wondered. Afraid of _her_, and what she might do to him and his precious friends? His precious... _Orihime? _Her face contorted once more into a horrible smirk, and she bared her teeth menacingly as she finally stepped from the confines of her room. Ichigo's eyes widened, taking in her all-white uniform, short red hair... Her angry, hateful eyes.

"... Hiori, huh?" he said gruffly, finally breaking the silence between them. Hiori cackled in reply, her maniacal laughter filling up the room. Ichigo's soft brown eyes hardened in response. His hand shifted, and he slowly brought his arm up to his back, gripping the hilt of his sword. Hiori snickered.

"You're really going to fight me?" she asked, arching an eyebrow incredulously. "So you don't even care what happens to Leona?"

"I do care," he replied stonily. His Zanpakuto unraveled from his back, hitting the floor with a resounding _clunk_ that echoed throughout the room. "And that's why I'm fighting you." The triumphant expression on Hiori's face flickered.

_Don't hurt him._

"That's Leona's body you're in." Ichigo continued, lifting up his Zanpakuto with one arm and pointing it straight at Hiori's chest. "I think it's time you gave it back."

A ferral snarl ripped from Hiori's lips as she leapt forwards, dodging Ichigo as he slashed at her with the edge of his sword. Using one hand to support her on the ground as she flipped, Hiori's other hand wrapped around the end of her Zanpakuto, slipping it from its sheath with such speed that Ichigo couldn't even follow the movement. The next second she was behind him- Sword drawn, body crouched low. Her wild red hair gave her the look of a hunting Lion, her rigid features, angry expression and rage-filled eyes all giving Ichigo the impression that he was, undoubtedly, being hunted.

"_**Consume or Purify, Jairo!**_" she roared. The following blast of reiatsu nearly forced Ichigo off of his feet, and he was forced instead to dig the tip of his Zanpakuto into the tiles below him. A moment later, Hiori held the familiar, spear-like Shikai form of Jairo, the wooden beads on each end clicking together loudly. For a brief moment, Ichigo was confused. From his fights with other Arrancar, he was well aware that and Arrancar's idea of "releasing" their Zanpakutos was quite different from the way that Shinigami did it... Did "Hiori" not know how to use it, yet? His thoughts were interrupted, however, as Hiori took a swipe at his face with one of the sharp ends of her Zanpakuto.

"So what'll it be, Kurosaki?" she hissed, straightening her back and glaring straight into Ichigo's eyes. "Are you going to kill me, or just leave? Because, either way, _I win._" Taking the bait Ichigo lunged, heaving Zangetsu into the air, only to bring it crashing down onto the stone pole of Jairo. The following crash echoed throughout the room, wreaking havoc on their eardrums, but neither party seemed to care. "So you're going to kill me?" Hiori called over the noise, gritting her teeth as she struggled to push against Ichigo's blow. "You're going to have to do better than-"

Her words were cut off, and she was sent flying backwards. Her chest heaved as she righted herself, and all she could do was stare at the floor. What on earth was happening to her? She was the Indigena, the first, the _Alpha._ She was supposed to be able to beat guys like Ichigo in a heartbeat. She was supposed to be the best! But here she was, fighting for her ground like she was just another... _Human._

"Had enough yet, _Hiori?_" Ichigo's tone was clearly mocking, and Hiori's eyes narrowed. He was playing with her because he knew, for some reason, he was stronger. But why was he-

_Don't hurt him._

Hiori's eyes widened- It was her. Leona was the reason that Ichigo was stronger. With another angry growl, Hiori lunged forwards, pouncing on Ichigo. Bringing Jairo down through the air, Ichigo was barely able to dodge the blow, which left a hefty dent in the white stone tile where he had previously been standing. Again, Hiori lunged, twirling through the air and bringing her Zanpakuto down above Ichigo's head once again- Only to miss. She aimed for him, and he moved to the right, she aimed again, he moved to the left. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't even land a single hit.

"I HATE YOU!" she finally screamed, bringing her Zanpakuto through the air and, at last, hitting Ichigo square in the ribs. The force of the contact sent him careening backwards, stopping only when his back at last made contact with the wall, which began to crumble. He slid to the ground, grunting as he forced his body upwards again. He had little time to get his bearings, however, as Hiori was once again on him. Grabbing him by the collar, she hoisted him into the air, throwing him into the opposite wall. "All this is your fault!" she cried, dropping her Zanpakuto to the floor and marching straight for Ichigo once again. The sword might as well have been useless- She felt no power within that staff.

"Hiori, don't do this." Ichigo protested through gritted teeth. Using the wall behind him for balance, he forced himself upright, only to be kicked roughly in the gut and brought back down again.

"_Hiori, don't do this._" she mocked, bringing her fist down and making heavy contact with the side of Ichigo's face. "I'm not one of your little friends that you can reason with! I'm not your fucking friend, you moron!" she screamed, punching him again and sending him flying. His back made contact with the ground, and he skidded on the floor until his back hit the wall. "I fucking hate you! You ruined me! This body was supposed to be mine- _Mine_. And now that Leona wants it because of you! _You!_ This is all your fucking fault!" Her voice cracked with the force with which she spoke these words, and she heaved her fist straight into the wall in an attempt to calm herself. Nothing happened. "It's all your fault! YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"

The echo of her voice continued to fill the room for another minute. Hiori's chest heaved with the effort the words had taken. She could hear Ichigo grunt in pain, but she didn't care. No one spoke for a long while, and Hiori focussed on her own breathing. _In, out, in, out... _The words were repeated over and over in her mind until she once again found herself to be calm. A pause- And then she was laughing. Her shoulders bobbed up and down rapidly in silent laughter, and she put a hand overher eyes, cackling all the louder as she did so.

"So, Ichigo," she said at last, taking a deep breath in an attempt to quell her fit of laughing. "I'm going to kill you. And then it'll en-" A sudden splattering noise caused her words to falter, and Hiori gasped in a mixture of surprise and pain. Slowly, she cast her eyes downwards, where the tip of a sword protruded from between her ribs. Crimson blood stained her white uniform, dribbling down her exposed skin until it finally fell from her body, puddling on the floor.

"I'm sorry... Leona."

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><p><strong>That's right, another chapter in just a day! I'm really hoping that I can finish this story up in maybe 12 chapters or less. All I have to do is get through the Arrancar Arc, then I'll be breezing through the Fullbring Arc in just a few chapters (for reasons that you will understand later) until it catches up to where the manga is now (Chapter 474-ish). After I finish the Fullbring arc, I'm writing one last chapter to end this story with. And let me tell you- I've been thinking about the way I'm going to end this for a long, long time, and it will BLOW YOUR MINDS. <strong>

**Any thoughts on how YOU think the story should end? Leave any ideas/thoughts/suggestions you have for me in your review!**

**As per the outstanding theme of this particular chapter, it has been entitled "Volviendo Loco", which roughly translated from Spanish means "Going Crazy".**

**Anyways. In this chapter, we see that Hiori's personality is rapidly crumbling, and she's obviously becoming psychologically unstable, as Grimmjow pointed out (to himself) in the last chapter. After fighting with Ichigo for just a little while, and basically losing, Hiori realizes that Leona has been instructing her "not to hurt him", and thus she ha unconsciously been _trying_ not to hurt him! This demonstrates Leona's strengthening hold over Hiori's consciousness, hinting that the personality that will win the body over will be- That's right, Leona!**

**I ended with a cliffy, so sorry guys, but I'll try to update ASAP since I'm on break! **

**Don't forget to review, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!**


	46. Part 4: It's Hell If You're Here

_..._

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><p><em>"If you give me wings<em>, _I will soar for you, e__ven if this whole land s__inks down to the water. __If you give me a sword, __I will fight for you, e__ven if this whole sky s__hoots through with your light."_

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><p><em>Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.<em>

That was the only noise that could be hear within the chamber. As Ichigo and Hiori stood, bodies pressed close, neither daring to move, all they could do was listen to the steady dripping of Hiori's blood. A large puddle of crimson had now formed around her feet, but the Arrancar did nothing to quell the flow. All she did was watch, and wait, and listen.

The person she hated most in this world- The man who had ruined her- Had now ran her through. Skewered her like an animal ready for roasting over an open flame. Perhaps she did deserve to be roasted, though. After all the people she had killed during her time in Soul Society, all the people she planned to kill now- Hiori shook her head. How could she be thinking that way? She felt no remorse for those people she had killed. She didn't need to. She was the strongest, so she had killed them. That was no cause for sadness. Her eyes narrowed- Ichigo really _had_ ruined her.

"Leona... Leona, I'm so sorry," he whispered in her ear. Hiori shivered as his cool breath brushed over her skin- Then she froze. She didn't_ enjoy_ that. She didn't like him! She _hated_ him! Summoning what strength she had left, Hiori shoved him away, turning on the spot to glare at the man who had just ran her through.

"Don't fucking call me that!" she cried, though some of the effect of her tone was lost as she spat up blood. The sadness in Ichigo's eyes was evident, and all Hiori could do was smirk. What an idiot- Leona was gone, this was _her_ body now. She wondered if he knew that this sadness he was feeling was all wasted on someone who would never come back. The very thought made her chuckle, though it pained her to do so because of the wound in her side. "Kill... I'll... I'll kill you!" she hissed.

Slowly, she curled her fingers of her right hand, forming the familiar shape of a gun with her middle and pointer fingers. A warm, prickling sensation shot through her arm as she raised it, and she could help but sneer when she saw the amber energy begin to ball in between her fingers. Ichigo's eyes narrowed, and he raised his Zanpakuto, preparing for a defense.

"You don't want to do this, Leona," he said slowly. Calmly, as if he were reasoning with an old friend who had lost it. Hiori grit her teeth together.

"Oh don't I? That's not my name, it doesn't hold any power over me!"

_DON'T HURT HIM!_

A mixture of shock and fear suddenly clouded Hiori's features, her whole body flinching substantially at the appearance of her other self. Her surprise moved her hand, and her Cero was released in Ichigo's opposite direction, all but demolishing a wall on her right. Leona's flickering, see-through form stood directly in front of Ichigo, mocking Hiori with her kind, gray eyes.

"Go away!" she screamed, attempting to form another Cero with her fingers. But it was useless, and no sooner had Leona turned her eyes on Hiori's Cero, it vanished with a fizzle. A strangled cry of desperation and frustration escaped Hiori's lips, and she was horrified to find that tears were what were making her eyes sting so badly. Both Ichigo and Leona took a step forwards, though Hiori very much doubted that Ichigo knew that he was standing right beside of the girl that he wanted to save.

"Go away!" she repeated, pressing her back against the wall and slipping down towards the floor. Her face was contorted in sadness and anger, and she could feel the hot tears flow down her cheeks like rivers. She felt so ashamed... What would Aizen do when he found out that his precious Alpha was broken beyond repair? So much so that she couldn't even defeat one lousy human-turned-Shinigami.

"I'm not leaving, Leona,"

"That's not my fucking name!" Hiori screamed, her throat chaffing as she did so. Her voice cracked, though she really didn't care anymore. How much lower could she sink, blubbering in front of the enemy was surely the lowest one could go.

_It is that body's name, though._

Hiori looked up to meet the eyes of Leona, which were now right in front of her. The identical girls now sat nose-to-nose, though Ichigo seemed to not be able to see Leona at all. Hiori parted her lips, quickly finding that forming words was becoming increasingly more difficult by the minute.

"Wha... the fuck is that... Supposed to me..an..." Ichigo's expression quickly became puzzled, and he turned his attentions towards the empty space at which Hiori was now staring. The apparition of Leona, however, simply smiled, crouching even closer to Hiori, who didn't even have strength enough to move away.

_Haven't you wondered why you're so powerless? And why Jairo doesn't even work?_ Hiori blinked, thinking back on it briefly before Leona continued. _It's my body now, Hiori. The part of our soul that is 'you'... It's smaller than you know._

Hiori parted her lips, reaching up towards the apparently empty space in front of her. She didn't want to believe it. Perhaps it was all just some hallucination cooked up by her brain as she died- She couldn't tell if she even _was_ dying, to begin with. It was Ichigo who took her hand, however, and she didn't even have the strength to struggle against it. She felt that presence that had been growing in her mind swell, and she knew that Leona knew just what Ichigo was doing.

"It's okay," he muttered, staring down at Hiori, who was quite sure that sure looked just as bloodied and battered as she thought she did. "I'm gonna get you out of-"

"Well. This certainly is interesting." A cold, familiar voice broke through Ichigo's words, and he froze. Hiori's gray eyes shifted, wondering who had finally come to take her away from here. Shaggy black hair and pale skin met her eyes, the bright turquoise pupils of Ulquiorra shining brightly in the dim light. No hint of amusement showed on his face, but it was more than clear to Hiori just what was going through his mind. "And here I thought that you were simply a brute who swung his sword and got lucky... It seems that you do have some strength, after all."

Ichigo stood from where he had been crouched in front of Hiori, whose hand dropped to the floor in an almost lifeless manner. "You... You're that..." All Ulquiorra did was nod solemnly, his eyes fixed on the wounded Indigena behind Ichigo. Hiori, however, seemed to miss his disappointed look, and the next minute she found herself laughing. Ichigo turned, casting his brown eyes downwards to stare at the bloody girl behind him. Blood stained her lips, but all she did was continue to laugh, not caring about the blood staining her brilliant white uniform.

"He's gonna kill you."

And then she blacked out.

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><p>A warm breeze washed over Hiori as she lay on her back, eyes closed. Above her, she could hear what sounded like bird calls- Seagulls, to be exact. Beneath her it felt like sand, and a moment later she realized that she must be laying on a beach. Without opening her eyes, Hiori grabbed fist-fulls of the warm sand around her, the tiny grains trickling out from in between her fingers and landing on the exposed skin of her midriff.<p>

It was then that Hiori realized that her pain was gone.

Finally opening her eyes, Hiori dropped the sand and sat up in one fluid motion, peering down at her ribs as she did so. Just as she had suspected, her wound had all but vanished, and only a tiny silver line now remained- The only evidence that she had been cut at all. Touching her fingertips to the now faded wound, Hiori breathed a sigh of relief- Only to panic a second later.

Was she dead?

Looking around, the sight that met her only seemed to support the idea. In front of her was what appeared to be a never-ending expanse of ocean, though for some reason the water was almost blood-red in color. The sand in which she sat was warm and inviting, and the birds that she had thought to be Seagulls, she now saw were, in fact, Cardinals. Large, brilliant red Cardinals, soaring overhead without a care in the world.

Hiori turned her head, peering behind her in order to survey the rest of the area. Large sand dunes, the same light brown color as the sand she sat in, rose up from the flat surface of the beach, each one covered with a generous amount of rust-colored grasses. Behind them, and in some occasions on them, Hiori spotted old buildings. Although one might have assumed that deteriorating building on a beach would take away from the beauty of such a place, Hiori found them to add a sort of rustic appeal to the area. Some were even covered with flowers.

But she was dead- That was the only explanation. And being dead was not an option for her. _She_ wasn't supposed to be dead, it was Ichigo and Orihime and all of those other meddlesome humans that should have been dead! It was their fault, and their fault alone, that she was in such a place at all. It should have been Orihime sitting on this beach, pining for her lost love for Ichigo- Or at least something to that affect. Hiori was built to kill, not to die; Dying had never been a part of her life plan. Hiori paused. Had she even had a "life plan" to begin with?

"Probably."

Hiori jumped, whipping her head around and away from the old cottages on the dunes, searching for the source of the voice that had just spoken. Then she glowered, at nothing in particular; If she was dead, did that mean that she was to spend an eternity with only Leona for company? She was positive that it was Leona who had spoken- Who else would it have been?

"It certainly takes you long enough to put two and two together," the voice continued. Hiori froze, focussing her ears in the direction from which the voice had come. Not moving, but shifting her eyes slightly, Hiori locked her vision on a pier to her right that she had not noticed before. The boardwalk itself was long, suspended far above the red ocean for what looked like miles, until slowly descending into the roaring red waters.

Sure enough, perched on the rickety wooden railing was her other half, her identical burgundy locks whipping in the beach breezes. Her gray eyes gazed happily out to see, though she seemed perfectly aware of Hiori's presence. Beside her stood a boy, whose dark hair had been ruffled by the breeze, and Hiori was surprised to find two ears sticking straight out of his head. Unlike Leona, his smoldering red eyes were fixated on Hiori with a mixture of curiosity and displeasure. Hiori made a noise in the back of her throat, covering her eyes with her palms in dismay.

"I can't believe I'm stuck with you in Hell!" she cried angrily, gritting her teeth together as she spoke. At these words, however, both Leona and her Chimera companion burst out laughing.

"You think this is Hell?" Leona replied, gesturing out to see. "Just because it's red, that doesn't make it Hell, and just because you're here, it doesn't mean we're dead." Hiori arched an eyebrow carefully, looking around once more to take in the scene around her. Nothing had changed; It was still just as red, and still just as peaceful.

"If you're here, it's Hell." Hiori retorted finally, glaring back up at Leona. The boy beside her bristled, but she calmed him with a touch to the ears.

"I keep forgetting you've never seen this before," Leona continued, as if Hiori hadn't said anything at all. "Jairo's been very good about keeping you out of here."

"Jairo?" Hiori repeated, her eyes traveling towards the dog-boy once more. "Jairo as in my Zanpakuto?"

"Jairo as in _her_ Zanpakuto." It was the boy who had spoken this time, his angry red eyes still fixated on Hiori. She glared back, refusing to be beaten down by the Zanpakuto Spirit. "You did realize that I didn't work for you at all?"

"I was going crazy, it doesn't count you dumb animal." she replied, pushing herself up onto her own two feet at last. "And besides, if she's so powerful that you're still 'her Zanpakuto', why is she stuck in here while I'm out there?"

"Same reason you're in here, I'm guessing." Jairo replied sassily, ignoring Hiori as she bared her teeth warningly. Leona simply laughed, hopping down from the pier and into the sea- But instead of falling into the water, as Hiori had been expecting, she stood in it. Blinking, Hiori suddenly realized that the water had turned into red sand, which shifted beneath Leona's weight as she walked through the red ocean effortlessly. Hiori scoffed.

"Well that bites," Hiori began, marching towards the ocean. "And here I thought I could go for a swim. Fucki-" No sooner had she set her foot in the ocean, however, she fell through it's surface and into the blood red water. Jairo roared with laughter from the railing of the pier, ignoring the looks that he was getting from both Hiori and Leona, who was still standing on the surface of the ocean. Hiori coughed a spluttered, turning around in the water and pulling herself back up onto dry land.

"What the fuck!" she growled, observing her soaking wet clothes and brushing her wet hair off of her face. "What the hell did you do that for you bitch!" Leona sighed, turning and walking closer.

"I didn't do anything," she retorted, kicking up the sands around her as she walked. "You just don't belong here. That's not on me," Hiori simply scoffed, laying back in the sand and looking up at the orange sun in the hopes of drying off.

"_I don't belong here._ You bet your ass I belong here- My body my rules, bitch."

"The proof that you don't is all over you," Leona replied, and Hiori could tell just by hearing her that she was smiling. "If you did, you wouldn't be wet right now. You'd be walking on water like I am."

"Congratulations, you're just like Jesus." Hiori replied bitterly, ignoring the feeling of the ocean's waters washing over her as the tide slowly rose.

"Hardly," Leona replied. "But it's my inner world, so I can manipulate it the way I want to." she explained. Hiori huffed, pushing herself up on her elbows to glare at her other half angrily. "That's how I could bring you here, even if Jairo didn't want me to. I can do whatever I want here."

"Well good. You just stay here, then, and I'll take the body, thank you very much."

"Nice try," Leona replied snarkily. Crouching down and resting her arms on her knees, Leona brought herself down to eye level with Hiori, who backed up considerably. "I'm just gonna bide my time. I'm not in any real rush, anyways, I've seen just how harmless you really are in this body." Hiori bit her lip to quell the flow of insults that were now flooding into her mouth. How she hated this girl. "And you should really stop thinking of me as your other half. Don't you get it? This body is all mine now- Even the inner world has changed. And you can't get in without my permission. What does that tell you?"

"You're fuckin' with the wrong girl, sister," Hiori growled, baring her teeth like an animal and snarling in Hiori's face. "I'd hate to have to kill Ichigo to shut you up for good." Leona's stony expression faltered, and Hiori smirked as she watched her fingers flex in an attempt to control her nervousness.

"Hiori, I'm warning you-"

"And I'm warning _you_, other half," Hiori interrupted, standing up again and brushing the sand off of her back. "You stay right here, and get out of my way, or I'll see to it that neither of us see Kurosaki Ichigo ever again."

The world in front of her slowly began to fade, and she narrowed her eyes warningly as Leona stepped closer. The water sloshed around Hiori's ankles, despite the fact that Leona continued to walk on it effortlessly. Just as the whole scene began to vanish, Hiori felt Leona's long fingers wrap around her neck, pressing down with just enough pressure to hurt her.

"I'm just biding my time," she whispered, the sound sending shivers down Hiori's back, though she kept her expression stoic. "Because you and I both know that you're just a fragment of my soul that got lucky, and the more you break down, the stronger my hold is over you. Enjoy this body while you still can, Hiori, because it's mine inside and out. And you know it."

"You got it all wrong, bitch." Hiori replied, and she felt Leona's presence begin to ebb away. "Because if it was yours, I sure as hell wouldn't wanna be in it."

* * *

><p>Hiori blinked several times when she finally came to. The noises of the world around her came rushing back- And she found these noises more than unpleasant. A loud crash suddenly met her ears, and her eyes narrowed as she heard three female voices fill the room around her.<p>

"What's with that look on your face!" cried a voice, and Hiori heard a thud as someone's fist made contact with someone else's face.

"Hey, you should be a little more quiet..."

"Shut the hell up!" The first voice said, doing the opposite of her companions words and only growing louder. Hiori rolled her eyes- These were no doubt fraccion. She was sure most Espada would never behave this way. "Ugh, that's_ it!_" Hiori groaned, sitting up, and once more realizing that her wound was gone. This time, however, not even a scar remained, and her eyes widened as she realized just where she was, and who she was with. "I'm gonna rip your fingernails off!"

"Hey, Loly, stop it!"

To female Arrancar stood in the room. One had long, dark hair, the other's short and light. The dark haired girl had Orihime by the collar, and Hiori could only smirk at the sight of her bashed in face. The other girl, however, simply looked worried, and her eyes kept darting between her companion and the locked double doors on her left.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Hiori croaked, and both the Arrancar froze instantly. The girl with lighter hair trembled, but the darker one simply looked annoyed. Hiori frowned, standing up from the bed she had been in, trying her best to appear strong. "Are you bitches even authorized to be in here?"

"Like we give a shit about authorization!" the Arrancar called Loly retorted, still not dropping Orihime, who was now looking hopefully at Hiori.

"L-Leona-chan...!" she gasped. Hiori glowered- Wrong move.

"That's not my fucking name, you-"

Her words, however, were cut off as the double doors beside them were beaten open, a resounding crash filling the room. Rubble flew through the air, narrowly missing Hiori's head and instead crashing into the wall behind her. The dust cleared, and Hiori could now clearly make out the bright blue hair of Grimmjow. The presence in her mind that she had grown to hate stirred again, and she felt her own personality begin to slip once again. She gritted her teeth, straining to keep her anger and her hatred with her. She refused to let Leona win.

"Gr... Grimmjow!" the light haired Arrancar squeaked, and even the dark haired girl looked afraid. Grimmjow smirked, looking between the four girls in front of him before speaking.

"Yoo... So while Ulquiorra and I were gone you thought you'd have a little fun, huh?" he drawled, taking one step forward.

"Shit!" Menoly hissed, balling her fists in preparation to fight.

"Wha... What do you want?" Loly shouted, still refusing to release Orihime. "What the hell did you come here for, anyway-" Her words ceased as Grimmjow kicked her roughly in the gut, forcing her to release Orihime as she was sent flying backwards.

"Grimmjow!" Menoly roared, running straight for the Sexta Espada. Hiori closed her eyes. People like them were foolish- Sticking your neck out for friendship only got you killed- And the next second, her proof of her worldview was given. Menoly vanished within a bright blue Cero, incinerated. Loly gasped with anger, clutching her stomach in pain as she writhed on the floor.

"Y... You doing such a thing to us... Aizen-sama won't let this go..." Grimmjow simply stared down at her, hands in his pockets, as she cursed him from the ground. "You'll be-!" She stopped speaking, freezing as Grimmjow grabbed her ankle roughly. "Hey, wait, what're you- Stop! I-I can keep a secret!" Hiori closed her eyes solemnly, folding her arms over her chest as she simply listened to the carnage- She heard a bone snap, and Loly's screams filled the room. How could she have even hoped for mercy from someone so much higher on the chain of command than her?

"You're gonna die! You're gonna die you bastard! Aizen-sama will-" Hiori groaned, curling her fingers and aiming them straight at Loly's head. The girl's eyes widened, turning her attention from Grimmjow, who was now peering over his shoulder to gaze at Hiori with interest.

"I have a headache," she murmured, keeping her tired eyes fixed on Loly as her amber Cero grew in size. "You need to shut up." And with that she released the orb of energy, hitting Loly square in the face, silencing her cries. The room fell silent, and Hiori once again felt the presence in her mind flicker and grow. She winced, which did not go unnoticed by Grimmjow, though he chose to ignore it.

"Dumb shit," Grimmjow muttered, looking at what remained of Loly's body. "As if Aizen-sama'd lift a finger for you." Orihime trembled, staring up at the blue haired Arrancar with a mixture of awe and fear.

"Wh... Why?" she whispered, not even bothering to conceal the fear in her voice. Grimmjow was silent for a moment, stuffing his hands in his pockets in his usual way before answering.

"That's for my left arm,"

Hiori suddenly found herself smiling- Despite Arrancars 'having no feelings', they could be surprisingly human. The next second, however, she held her head in her hands. She wasn't supposed to be thinking things like that- She just _wasn't!_ She didn't give a shit if Grimmjow was kind. She _didn't fucking care_ about him at all! When she looked up, she saw Orihime gasping and spluttering in Grimmjow's grip.

"Wh... What?"

"_What_, you ask?" Grimmjow growled, though Hiori could see a maniacal smile grow on his face. "You really think I just came to help you? How naive! I returned my debt to you, so I don't wanna hear any bitching. Now, I have a little favor to ask. You're comin' with me!"

"Heal your face," Hiori said, once again drawing Grimmjow's attention as she walked towards them. She worked hard to keep her usual, glaring eyes in check, though she could still feel that nagging presence rapidly overtaking her mind. "I'm sure you don't wanna be seen dragging around some bitch with a bashed in face."

Before either Grimmjow or Hiori could react, however, Orihime had dashed over to Loly's body. Hiori's expression flickered, but she stayed where she was, glaring at the girl as she began healing her assailants. She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair. Grimmjow was right; She was as naive as they came. Healing the people who had been out to kill her. Loly was barely alive, and Hiori had meant for her to die right there. But Aizen hadn't been kidding when he had said that Orihime's powers defied the realm of God- Loly coughed and spluttered as she came to.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed, tears spilling out of her eyes. Hiori glowered from her place next to Grimmjow. They both watched in silence as Orihime healed them both- Next to nothing had remained of their bodies, and had Hiori been in her right mind she was sure that nothing of Loly would have remained. Despite that, there they both were, brought back to life by the very girl whom they had set out to kill.

"Humans are fucking weird." Hiori muttered, waiting as patiently as she could as Orihime healed her own face. Grimmjow's blue eyes shifted, looking down at the red head.

"Everybody's fuckin' weird."

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><p><strong>Well I have to say I am pretty proud of myself for keeping up with these updates... I'm starting to think that if I can keep all of them at this length, I can maybe get this finished in ten or eleven chapters... Hopefully.<strong>

**In this chapter, we are introduced to Leona's true inner world. She made it clear that Hiori isn't welcome there, as well as she cannot enter unless she has Leona's express permission. Basically everything in there is red or brown, even the water. As Leona explained, she can manipulate anything in her inner world as she sees fit, whereas Hiori cannot, which is further proof that this is now completely Leona's body. Hiori is determined to keep it, however, and as we saw towards the end she is still fighting the presence in her mind (which is Leona) that keeps growing and effecting both her actions and feelings.**

**We see some more Grimm/Hio friendship in here, and this small friendship will play a big part in Leona's return. It also suggests that, although Hiori herself doesn't like Grimmjow very much, Leona does, which is greatly influencing Hiori's feelings towards the Sexta Espada. As proof, he is the only Espada or Arrancar that Hiori has felt any feelings towards (feelings such as fear, anger, regret etc.). An example of this would be when she was afraid that Aizen would hurt him by crushing him with his spiritual pressure.**

**Anyways, I think we all know what comes next- The GrimmIchi fight! Get ready, because Hiori's going to go crazy.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, keep 'em coming!**


	47. Part 4: Dog Eat Dog

_..._

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><p><em>"<em>_We are insects... __Worms crawling underneath nonvolatile spite. __I lift my head up, higher even than the moon…__…until I can't see you merciful bastards anymore.__"_

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><p>Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, the Sixth Espada in Aizen's army, was becoming increasingly more interesting to Hiori. Although, as she sat beside him and watched as Orihime healed the barely living Ichigo, she couldn't help but wonder if it was even her anymore- Perhaps it was Leona. She had felt a horrible pang in her chest upon seeing Ichigo, all but dead, in the middle of the destroyed room. A pang in her chest which Hiori was sure would not have even occurred had it not been for Leona's growing presence within her mind and soul.<p>

"Everything... Everything is Nell's fault!"

Hiori's attentions were suddenly drawn to her left, away from her worries of Leona, and she settled her eyes on the tiny Arrancar to Grimmjow's left side. Her fluffy turquoise hair framed her childish face in a way that Hiori greatly disliked, though she couldn't really say that she blamed the youngster for having such an unfortunate hairstyle. She flinched, barely keeping her palm from her face as she realized that, once again, her feelings were returning.

"Please, I beg you, help save him!" she said, and Hiori flinched when she realized that the child spoke with a ridiculous lisp of some sort. "Help save Ichigo-"

"SHUT UP!" Grimmjow's angry shout silenced the child, who immediately turned to stare up at the furious Espada. Orihime's eyes widened with fear, and Hiori simply held her head. There was too much _noise_. "Quit your bitchin' already, kid. Next time you get all worked up like that I'm gonna fuckin' blow you away!"

"Yes..." the child's tiny voice replied. Grimmjow sighed, apparently satisfied with the silence.

"He can be healed in silence. Just shut up and watch."

"Who in... World could have done this?" Orihime whispered. Hiori watched as Ichigo's wounds vanished, wiped away as though they had simply been painted on his skin.

"Ulquiorra." Grimmjow replied stonily, and Hiori raised an eyebrow curiously as he balled his fists. "This is his symbol." he continued, standing up slowly as he spoke. "I don't think the bastard's even realized it himself, but when he takes an interest in a certain prey, he always rips them a hole in exactly the same place as his own... But I'll make him realize... What happens when you lay a finger on someone else's prey!"

Orihime froze, her eyes locked on Ichigo. Hiori flinched, hearing his breathing start up again, and she stood to take her place on Grimmjow's right. The orange-haired boy on the ground stirred, groaning in pain as he rolled over to get a better look at the people who were surrounding him.

"Nell... and Inoue...?"

"Ichigo!"

"Kurosaki-kun-!"

"Shut the hell up!" Grimmjow bellowed, stepping forward to interrupt their reunion. "If you've got the time to cry, then hurry up and heal him!"

"You- Grimmjow!" Ichigo gasped, peering up at him from the ground. "What're you doing with Ino- Leona?" Ichigo's eyes had, at last, landed on the red head, who had once more returned to holding her head in her hands. "Leona... Hey, Leo- What the hell have you done to her!" Grimmjow frowned, peering behind him to get a better look at the Alpha Espada. After a minute or so he answered with a simple shrug, turning his attention back to Ichigo as Hiori continued to mutter 'Go Away'.

"The hell if I know," he replied finally, hands in his pockets. "She's one crazy bitch, if ya ask me."

"Nobody fucking asked you!" Ichigo retorted angrily, though his voice faltered as he coughed up blood. Grimmjow rolled him eyes.

"Shut up and just let yourself be healed! I came here to beat the shit out of you in top condition!" At this, Orihime gasped, staring wide eyed at the Sexta Espada.

"Th-that's why you asked me to heal him?" she murmured, though Grimmjow narrowed his eyes as she clenched her fists. "That's the re-"

"Shut up! I let you heal him right when he was about to die, I don't wanna hear any bitchin'!" he barked, pointing straight at Orihime. "Now hurry the fuck up! Sooner or later Ulquiorra's gonna figure out what's up and come back here- So before that-"

"What are you doing... Grimmjow?"

Hiori froze. She knew that she shouldn't be afraid- She was Indigena, after all, the first of their kind. Those who came after her... Their powers were diluted, contaminated, not pure and raw as hers were. Her heart rate continued to quicken all the same, and the presence in her mind stirred once more.

_You are not the Indigena. I am. They will kill you._

"Ulquiorra..." Grimmjow muttered, clenching his teeth angrily as he turned to face his superior. Hiori could tell that Ulquiorra was disappointed- No, perhaps that wasn't the right emotion. Something more along the lines of... _Tired_, perhaps. Ulquiorra repeated his words once more, this time receiving no reaction whatsoever from the Sexta Espada, who stood with unwavering defiance before him.

"What are you doing?" he repeated again, taking a cautious step forwards. " What's wrong? I'm speaking to you. What are you trying to pull, healing the wounds of an enemy I defeated?" Ulquiorra spoke his words carefully, enunciating each letter so carefully that it was slightly offputting. His tone of voice did not change, keeping that same level, calm, bored sort of drawl that all of the Espada and Arrancar had known to associate with the stoic Number Four. "No response?" he continued, holding his hands behind his back.

Grimmjow continued to stare at him, though he did not move or speak. Briefly, Ulquiorra turned his attentions towards Hiori, who still remained by Grimmjow's side. His lips twitched and, had Hiori not known better, she would have guessed that he had been about to laugh. But she did know better. Number Four never laughed... She knew better than that.

"How interesting." he murmured, his eyes not leaving the pair of Espada in front of him. "It seems that the Indigena has taken quite a liking to you, Grimmjow." Hiori flinched- She didn't take a _liking_ to anyone. She didn't like anyone. She hated them... That's how it had always been... "What sort of offer did you make her to entice her into this little escapade of yours?" Grimmjow still gave him no answer, and at last Ulquiorra removed his eyes from them, instead choosing to focus his attention on Orihime, who was still healing Ichigo. "Very well then. In any case, Aizen-sama has entrusted that girl to me. Hand her over."

"Fuck you."

Ulquiorra paused, his eyes widening for a brief second before he returned his face to its stoic mask once more. "What did you say?" Hiori's eyes traveled slowly upwards, watching as the face of the man beside her split into a giddy sort of sneer.

"What's the matter?" he goaded, his voice rumbling menacingly deep within his chest. "You've got a lot to say, haven't you, Ulquiorra!" And then he lunged, hitting Ulquiorra full force with a Cero. Hiori, struggling to take in the events, backed away from the fight as quickly as possible. "I can see it in you, Ulquiorra. You're scared of fighting me. Scared of ripping us both to shreds!"

Another Cero blasted from Grimmjow's palm, sending Ulquiorra flying backwards. Grimmjow cackled maliciously, not wasting a second in following his opponent as he skidded towards the wall.

"You diverted it! As expected, one attack isn't gonna-"

Hiori's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes catching sight of Ulquiorra too late. He was right above Grimmjow, a single finger pointed directly at his head. Hiori bit her lip- It was over. There was no way Grimmjow could react fast enough- But the resounding explosion a second later proved Hiori wrong. White stone, rubble and dust surrounded them, and Hiori clearly heard Orihime cough behind her. Shielding her eyes from the dust that was now stinging in her nose, Hiori struggled to watch as Grimmjow's arm wrapped around Ulquiorra. A second later, the Cuarto Espada vanished with one final word- _Shit._

"Wha... What just happened?" Orihime breathed, though she continued to heal Ichigo. Grimmjow made a gruff noise in the back of his throat, his feet landing back on the ground softly before he answered.

"Aizen gave us Espada a Caja Negacion." he replied, his hands already back in his pockets in his usually manner. "For the purpose of punishing subordinates. That's what I just used. When deployed on an average Arrancar, they are permanently trapped in a sealed dimension. But it wasn't intended for use on Espada- With Reiatsu like his, it'll only hold him for a few hours... Now hurry up and heal him."

"No." Orihime answered. Hiori blinked, surprised by her rebelliousness, but a moment later it seemed it made no difference. Grimmjow gripped her by the throat, throttling her back and forth with every word he spoke.

"I wasn't giving you a choice in the matter!" he bellowed, baring his teeth. "Heal him!"

"If... If I heal him... You-ou'll just... Injure him. I can't..."

"You bitch," he growled, increasing his grip along with his anger. Suddenly, Ichigo's hand grasped Grimmjow's. His breathing was rough and uneven, and even as he stood there it was obvious just how weak he was. This didn't seem to bother him though as he looked Grimmjow in the eyes, his angry brown eyes fixed on him.

"Let go of her." he order icily, and a moment later Grimmjow ripped his arm from Ichigo's grip, backing away and gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"Kuro-"

"Inoue," Ichigo said, cutting Orihime off mid sentence. "Please heal me." Orihime's eyes widened, and Hiori had to admit that she was surprised, as well. "And also... Heal his as well." Even Grimmjow's eyes widened as Ichigo said this; Hiori's eyes traveled to Grimmjow's injured arm, watching carefully as smoke spiraled up from his bloody skin.

"... Don't." he said finally, his voice gruff from the strain of his brief fight with Ulquiorra. "I didn't ask for your sympathy."

"That's not what I meant, but don't you want to have a fair fight? Or is it that you want to have those wounds... So that you have an excuse when you lose?"

These small, seemingly insignificant words were all it took for Grimmjow to snap. Snarling in his usual animalistic manner he leapt forwards, the screeching sound of metal on metal meeting Hiori's ears as their Zanpakutos met. Ichigo grunted from the strain, but he didn't falter against the force of Grimmjow's attack.

"Excellent! We'll have a fight on equal grounds!"

* * *

><p>"Ichigo... Ichigo..."<p>

The worried whispers of the tiny Arrancar, who stood in between Orihime and Hiori, filled the awkward silence between the three of them as they watched the fight commence. Orihime was staring straight ahead, doing all she could to not say anything that could possibly provoke the unstable girl beside her. Hiori flinched as the Arrancar, Nell, repeated Ichigo's name once again. It seemed that every time she said his name, the stronger that presence in her mind became. And the more she pushed it away, the more it came at her. There was no escaping it- The part of her consciousness that she knew to be _herself_ was dying, and there was little she could do to stop it.

"Don't worry Nell," It was Orihime who had spoken, crouching down on her knees to pat the tiny Arrancar on the head. It hiccuped innocently, peering up at her between its fingers, as if it had suddenly become shy. "Kurosaki-kun will win."

"Y-you don't know that!" Nell protested anxiously. Orihime simply smiled.

"Didn't Kurosaki-kun say, _I will win this for sure_?"

"Everybody says that!" the green haired Arrancar argued- And Hiori had to agree. Everybody said that. And everybody lost, at some point. Saying that they would win would never help them win. Skill, endurance and luck did.

"Kurosaki-kun... Doesn't assure us for that reason," Orihime replied, staring out over the sands of Hueco Mundo, watching as Grimmjow and Ichigo clashed. "Kurosaki-kun is a kind person. When he uses strong words, it's like he's making a promise. I think he's making a promise to himself..."

"He expresses his feelings in words so he can follow through." Hiori whispered. Orihime's face snapped in her direction, her eyes wide. It was only a minute later that Hiori finally realized just what she had said. Ignoring the hopeful eyes of Orihime, she instead focussed her attention on what she was wearing. She had at last realized that her clothes had been changed- No doubt by Orihime when she had healed her.

Thick white leggings covered Hiori's slender legs, ending at her ankles and going almost up to her stomach. A loose white wrap top covered most of her torso, looking more like a loosely wrapped scarf rather than a shirt. Long sleeves came out from under the light, wrapped cloth, the sleeves clinging tightly to the arms all the way down to her wrists. She sighed, pulling at the high, tight fitting collar of her shirt nervously, for Orihime had still not stopped staring.

"... Why did you come here, Hitsugaya-san?" Orihime asked, her voice guarded in a way that told Hiori that she was determined to get the answers she wanted. And she wanted them now.

"This is where I belong, Inoue." Hiori replied softly, her voice deep but quiet as she continued to watch the two men in front of her continue their fight.

"Is that right..." Orihime murmured, still not letting her eyes leave Hiori. She felt that presence in her mind stir once again; Her head was swimming, and it was quickly becoming more and more difficult for her to think straight. "So you take nothing back?"

"Nothing." Hiori answered quickly.

"What about Kurosaki-kun?" Hiori flinched, though she did not allow her eyes to leave the battle in front of her. Orihime's eyes narrowed, and she pressed on despite Hiori's reluctance. "I know how you felt about him, I'm not-"

"Not how_ I_ felt about him, Inoue," Hiori barked, baring her teeth angrily as she finally turned her attention away from the fight. "How _Leona_ felt about him!"

"You're in the same body."

"Yeah, well, we're not the same person."

The two fell silent once more, ignoring Nell as her eyes moved back and forth between the two feuding girls. Grimmjow had appeared behind Ichigo, sword raised, and the next second Hiori saw Ichigo's crimson blood spray through the air as he fell back towards the ground. The presence in her mind shifted once more, but Hiori ignored it, choosing instead to watch as a large Cero began to form in Grimmjow's palm. Her eyes widened as she felt his Reiatsu increase- He wasn't thinking this through.

"Inoue, put up your shield!" she cried, turning wildly towards the chestnut haired girl. She blinked in confusion, turning her own attention towards the fight in front of them.

"I- what-?"

"INOUE DO IT-"

"Grimmjow, wait!" Ichigo called, but it was too late. Grimmjow's wild eyes met Hiori's, and for a moment she thought he would stop- But by then, she knew it would have been to late to stop such a powerful attack.

"GAN REY CERO!" he roared, and the next second an enormous blue energy filled the space around them. Hiori shielded her eyes with her hand, blocking the blinding light in a desperate attempt to save her vision. She waited for the pain of the Cero to overtake her- But none came. She blinked, opening her eyes at last, only to see Ichigo standing right in front of them

"So... He finally came out, huh?" Grimmjow muttered, though the excitement in his voice did not go unmissed by Hiori. Orihime stared, wide eyed, at the boy in front of him- And Hiori couldn't help but notice that she looked afraid. _Afraid_ of the man who had just saved her life- What sort of repayment was that for anyone? But somehow Ichigo seemed to understand, turning his kind eyes towards them and speaking words of comfort that Hiori could not hear. The presence in her mind was growing still, like cancer, quickly overtaking her senses and thoughts as though she were being controlled by some sort of spirit.

And then the world came flooding back, the crushing Reiatsu coming from Grimmjow's direction flooding her senses as she returned to the world once again. His features were contorted in their usual feral snarl. Ichigo had not moved from his place in front of Hiori and Orihime, and he continued to stare down at his growling opponent as he place his fingers on his Zanpakuto.

"_**Grind... Pantera!**_"

Grimmjow's blade disappeared in a could of dust. Ichigo turned where he stood, his golden, Hollowfied eyes once more falling on the three girls standing behind him. "Inoue... Right now, surround yourself, Nell and Leona with Santen Kesshun." he muttered before turning his eyes back to Grimmjow. "Don't lower it for a moment."

Hiori shivered, looking on as Grimmjow roared towards Hueco Mundo's moon. His body was covered in the same bone-like structures that covered much of the left side of her own body. At this point, he looked more Hollow than Human. But beneath his armor and longer hair, Hiori could still see those brilliant blue eyes shining brightly, his anger and excitement gazing boldly upward at his orange haired opponent. The presence in her mind stirred again.

_Ichigo... Grimmjow..._

Something seemed off. Even more off than usual. Turning her attention away from the fight before her, Hiori desperately tried to pinpoint just what it was that was troubling her. The presence in her mind swelled, and she felt her eyes twitch as though she were having a seizure. It felt like she were having a head-rush; The sort of head-rush where you can't tell right from left, or up from down. Time didn't seem to be moving like normal anymore, and although she could still hear the battle raging on, she could no longer tell how much time had passed. She could hear Grimmjow call out the names of his strongest attacks- But it was as if she had gone blind.

Her body was slowly slipping from her grasp.

"Leona."

It was Orihime that she heard first. Her eyes flickered open, and she found herself to be staring straight up at the sky. Her head hurt, and she could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears, and with each beat her head pounded more painfully. The walnut haired girl's face filled her vision, and off in the distance she could hear Grimmjow's angry yells.

"You... You aren't the only one who wants to win, you know!" It was Ichigo's voice this time, and Hiori could tell how loud he was yelling. She flinched as the noise met her over-sensitive ears. "You said it yourself, that I'll be your first target. It's the same for me!" Another crash, and Hiori flinched yet again.

"Leona." Orihime repeated. Her eyes were cold and calculating, a rare look for the usually jovial teenage girl. Hiori shivered as she placed her hands against her skin, as if feeling for injuries. "I know you're in there, Leona."

"Get off of me!" she growled, pushing against Orihime's hands to stand upright once more. Her legs wobbled, but she managed to keep her balance just barely. Her body was giving in- Her soul was merging with Leona. She could feel it happening. And she hated it... Or did she?

"Just like you said..." Ichigo's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she watched as Grimmjow's blue Reiatsu chased him through the sky. "I came to Hueco Mundo to fight you. I came here to defeat you, Grimmjow!" Another explosion, and Hiori's legs gave way. Orihime grabbed her just before she hit the ground, wrapping her arm around her own shoulders to support her weight. Hiori grimaced, but made no remark. It was as if her brain were shutting down- Like a computer. Having detected the virus that threatened it, it would reboot and start afresh... And the virus would be gone. _She_ would be gone. "I will defeat you! I will defeat Ulquiorra, I will defeat Aizen! And then I will take Rukia, Chad, Ishida, Renji, Orihime... Leona! I'll take them all back!

Hot tears stung at Hiori's eyes, and she didn't even have the strength to wipe them away. Instead she left them to trickle down her cheeks, no longer caring about how Orihime was staring at her, or about how Nel was tugging at Orihime's skirt, asking if the 'red haired Espada' would be alright.

"You're just one person! I can't be defeated by you, Grimmjow!"

In that instant, Hiori could see it clearly. She could see Grimmjow's eyes. How they widened, then softened and became normal once more, just as Ichigo's sword swung across his chest. Crimson blood sprayed the air, and Grimmjow fell. Hiori watched as Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's hand, placing him in the sand below himself before landing in front of Orihime, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Grimm..."

Hiori's whisper was too soft for even Orihime to hear. Ichigo's smile widened as Orihime thanked him, and even as Nel clobbered him with an enormous hug, all Hiori could do was stare at the fallen Espada. She said nothing as she saw him slowly rise, his Hollow armor falling from his skin like sand, and returning back into its form of a katana.

"Leona... Hey, Leona...?" Ichigo's voice was soft, reassuring, but Hiori couldn't take her eyes off of Grimmjow. Orihime sighed solemnly, and Ichigo nodded. "Give her to me."

"Eh?" was Orihime's only reply as she gazed up at the carrottop in a confused manner. His eyes softened as he looked down at the redhead, who looked more dazed and confused than he had ever seen.

"I'll carry her." he explained, holding out his arms. "It'll go quicker that way."

"K-Kurosaki-kun, you don't have-"

"I know I don't," he interjected, his eyes never leaving the sangria haired girl. "But I want t-"

"Like I'd lose!"

The group froze, but Hiori's eyes only widened. A beaten and bloody Grimmjow stood behind them; Armor gone, breathing ragged, but still standing. Gripping his own Zanpakuto, Ichigo turned away from his friends to face the Sexta Espada, who was still panting heavily.

"Like I'd..." He trailed off, looking from Nel to Orihime, then from Hiori to Ichigo. "No way I'd lose... No way I'd lose to someone like you!" With what looked to be the last of his strength, Grimmjow swung his sword, only to have it easily batted aside by Ichigo's hands.

"Stop it, now, Grimmjow," he stated calmly, holding Grimmjow's wrist firmly within his fist. "You've lost. I don't know about you being 'king', or whatever... But just beating up everyone who annoys you, and becoming king by yourself... Where the hell's the fun in that? If I really piss you off, I'll fight you as many times as you like. So for now, can't you just stop?"

"Don't screw with me!" Grimmjow hissed. Ichigo fell back as Grimmjow pushed him away forcefully, his wild expression becoming all the more animalistic with every word he spoke. "You bastard!" Grimmjow raised his sword, and Hiori's eyelids fluttered- When they opened again, she saw Grimmjow on the ground, the familiar, spindly form of Nnoitra standing over him. Both Ichigo and Orihime wore identical masks of surprise, but all Hiori could do was stutter.

"Gri... Grimm..." was all she kept saying. Removing her arm from around Orihime's neck she took a few steps forward before collapsing on the ground- It appeared that she had all but lost the use of her legs. Ignoring Orihime's protests, Hiori continued to drag herself towards Grimmjow, who lay spread-eagle in the sand as Ichigo defended him. At last she stopped, her face inches from his own, to stare straight into his now closed eyes. "Grimm... jow..."

"Orihime, take her out of here!"

"B-but Kurosaki-kun-"

"_Grimmjow!"_

Hiori's sorrowful scream filled the desert-like area where they stood. All four pairs of eyes turned to her, watching as her eyes slid closed, and her head fell to rest on Grimmjow's arm.

Her world went black.

* * *

><p>"Long time, no see, kid."<p>

It was a familiar voice that greeted her when she awoke. The now familiar sands of Leona's beach lay beneath her, cushioning her body where she sat. The sound of the ocean waves filled her ears, along with the calls of the cardinals above her. At first glance she saw no one, but after taking one more look all around, her eyes at last found the source of the voice.

"_You,_" she breathed, her lips twitching into a small smile, though it vanished so quickly one might have thought it had simply been a trick of the light. The person to whom she was speaking- A boy, to be exact- Smiled in response. His tousled ebony hair framed his thin face, which housed to brilliant blue eyes. This particular color blue was so light, however, that they looked to almost be made of ice. Light, light blue ice. "Ama...? But how...?"

"It's a gift," he replied shortly, not moving from his perch on top of the dunes. "You can thank Leona when she shows up."

"Is this a 'thanks for the body' gift?" Amaterasu shrugged.

"If you wanna get snippy about it."

The two lapsed into silence, neither speaking but still looking, gray eyes meeting ice-blue for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Far to their left a flock of cardinals landed, pecking at the sand in search of food. From farther away, Hiori guessed they would probably look much like coral that had washed ashore.

"Our time's up, you know."

"What?" she blurted instantly, panic marring her features. "You have to go?" Amaterasu laughed, covering his mouth with his hands afterwards. His eyes, however, remained locked on Hiori, who was still looking to him for answers.

"No, that's not what I mean." he said finally, and Hiori sighed in relief. "I mean, our time is up. We have to go."

"What... I have to go, too?"

"It's hard to let go, isn't it?" he sighed, looking around the new inner world that surrounded him. "It's funny what time can do to someone's personality... To someone's soul." Hiori only nodded, following his gaze down the beach, where she finally caught sight of two figures off in the distance. They were headed towards them. Hiori pursed her lips.

"I didn't want this to be the end,"

"I know."

"... I caused a lot of trouble, didn't I?" she said quietly, now able to clearly make out the people who were approaching; The dog ears on the second figure were a dead give away. Amaterasu laughed again, nodding in reply.

"You always have." he said fondly. He, too, looked down the beach once more, following the pair with his eyes as they drew nearer. "It's understandable. Change is hard."

"Yeah... Yeah, it is."

The beach fell silent once more, save for the footsteps of Leona and Jairo, their feet shifting the sand below them as they walked. Hiori waited for Amaterasu to say something else- Perhaps a lengthy goodbye speech of some sort. Finally she turned back to him, preparing to scold him for making things awkward- But the Zanpakuto spirit had vanished, not even leaving a mark in the sand that could have indicated that he had been there at all. Perhaps she had only been talking to herself...

"Hey, Hiori."

"Hi..." she whispered, looking down at the sand. She refused to look at her just yet. She didn't want her to see her fear.

"How are you?"

"Shitty."

"Same."

At this, Hiori laughed. It was a broken, bitter sort of laugh, one that only came when one loses something close to them. Hiori heard Jairo take a few steps back, and she saw that as her cue. Clearing her throat, Hiori pushed herself up from the sandy beach, stretching her spine until she came to eye level with Hiori. Grey met grey, and for the first time in a long time, it seemed that the two were finally seeing eye-to-eye in both meanings of the phrase. For a moment they were silent... And then Hiori burst into tears.

"Leona... Leona..." she sobbed, though her voice sounded more angry than sad. Jairo's ears flattened against his head in discomfort, but Hiori couldn't have stopped even if she had tried. Leona laughed softly in the back of her throat, wrapping her arms slowly around the defiant piece of her soul that had caused so much trouble. "Leona... I'm so tired..."

"I know."

"I want to sleep..."

"I know..."

"Promise me," Hiori said, her voice still sounding watery from crying. "Promise me you'll do better. Promise me you'll be better at this than I was."

"...This?" Leona repeated curiously, not moving as Hiori buried her face in Leona's shoulder.

"Life." she replied, though the word was muffled against Leona's shoulder. The other girl laughed again, squeezing Hiori softly as she, too, buried her face in her twin's shoulder.

"Haven't I always?"

And then all Leona held was a flock of birds; Cardinals. Their chirps filled her ears, and the flapping of their wings beat air against her body as they flapped towards the sky, leaving only a flurry of bright red feathers when they left. Leona sighed, fingering her burgundy locks thoughtfully as she stared up at the sky, watching as the many pieces of her soul flew together again.

"Just as they should," Jairo mused, staring up at the twittering flock of birds just as Leona did. She smiled, closing her eyes as she felt herself drawn out of her inner world. The sand and the water vanished as she returned to Hueco Mundo, bird calls filling her ears all the way.

* * *

><p>It took only a moment for Leona to get her bearings once she had returned. Despite the confusion that everyone around her seemed to be in, everything was clear enough. Nnoitra's slender form towered over Ichigo and his companions- Her heart rate increased substantially as her eyes fell on the orange haired Shinigami, but it was clear enough that this just wasn't the time. She still lay beside Grimmjow, and for a moment she stared down at him sadly- But she knew that now was not the time for distractions.<p>

"Give it up!" Nnoitra drawled, pointing his Zanpakuto threateningly at Ichigo. "Neliel was the last hope for the lot of ya! And now that hope's gone- The whole lot of ya are-" The familiar static that came with Sonido interrupted Nnoitra mid sentence, and he could only watch as Leona appeared in front of him in a flurry of sand.

"_**Consume... Jairo!**_"

The words came to her like truth, and Leona felt a rush or Reiatsu fill her as all eyes turned towards her. She could feel that same warm sensation that she felt whenever she used her Cero fill her whole body as the words that she had spoken took affect. A boney exoskeleton now covered both her arms, almost acting as entirely separate arms. Large claws extended from them, giving them the appearance of paws. The bone continued over her collar bone, replacing the shirt she had been wearing with Hollow armor that covered only her breasts and in the middle of her ribcage, circling around her Hollow hole before ending all together.

Her hair had grown, and now draped around her face an neck in a way that made the deep red locks appear almost mane-like. Her hair continued down her back, joining in with her Hollow armor to form a long, whip-like tail, which swished around her in the sand, forcing Ichigo and the others behind her to back away as she straightened up.

Leona bared her teeth, snarling in a way that was reminiscent of the fallen Sexta Espada that lay far to her left. Her Hollow paws clicked against the Hollow bone that adorned her left hand as she moved, crouching low into an attack position as Nnoitra regarded her with interest.

"Well, well," Nnoitra sneered, his tattooed tongue sliding over his lips as he spoke. "How lucky to be the first to see you in this form, _Indigena,_" Leona smirked, glaring straight up at the tallest Espada in Aizen's army.

"In a few seconds, you won't be feeling so lucky."

* * *

><p><strong>To Kaisuikage: Out of those names you gave me, I'd have to say I like Hozuki (meaning Nightshade) the best. The Shinigami could say "Take back the Night, Hozuki" or something really intense like that. But showy catch-phrases aside, it's always great to hear someone say that you're an inspiration, so thank you very much! As for your question about a second story- I actually did consider doing a sequel when I first began this story. Unfortunately, I doubt that the ending that I have planned will leave for much of a sequel. But I'll leave that up for debate, for my loyal readers and reviewers to decide, when that time does come. If, when I get to the end, someone else would care to adopt the characters and write a continuation themselves, I have no issues with that. In all honesty, I am thinking of making this story my last on FF, and will probably either simply delete all of my unfinished works or let someone else use them or something. I'm not too sure. But rest assured that I plan to finish Binda Blinda, and thank you so much for your review! And whatever you're planning on using those Zanpakuto names for, I look forward to reading it!<strong>

**To Dark Mind of the American Teen: I was thinking maybe a little more than 10 more chapters. I'm sure you've noticed how these latest chapters are a little longer. I've been trying to progress the story more in each chapter than I have previously. Hopefully this will allow me to finish within the next couple months or so. I'd certainly like to finish- I'm very excited to write the end! Thanks so much for all of your reviews and continued support of my writing!**

**This chapter begins with Grimmjow ordering Orihime to heal Ichigo- This chapter itself was pretty difficult to write, since it has a lot of fight scenes that I never intended for Hiori/Leona to be a part of. So instead, we just have a few brief flickers of the fight, while the rest of the chapter is filled with Hiori basically being really confused by her loss of balance/vision/use of her limbs. I know it's really not my most exciting chapter to date, but I had to sum up this whole Hiori thing eventually. The excitement will come soon! We also watch as Hiori slowly looses control of her body and slips back into Leona's inner world. There she is reunited with Amaterasu briefly, sharing a little heart to heart sort of moment before he vanishes. **

**In the end, she realizes that she's lost. She lets go of the body, turning into some of the red Cardinals that inhabit Leona's inner world- The Cardinals, I'd like to point out, are meant to represent Leona's soul. Now that the flock is complete, the balance has been restored and she can once again take control of her body.**

**Now, a brief description of her resurreccion:**

**Basically, the release command for her Zanpakuto (Consume or Purify) is now split in two, as it was originally intended to be. Had it not been for Hiori interfering, it would've happened much sooner. The resurreccion command is to Consume, whereas the standard release command is Purify, which would allow her to use things like Shikai and Bankai rather than a full-body Zanpakuto form that is associated with the Espada.**

**Her resurreccion is basically like bone armor, which forms an extra set of hands (or paws, as the case may be) that fit right on top of her own hands. They can disconnect themselves and flow freely, though, giving her four hands instead of two in battle. The paws are connected to armor around her collar bone, and in her resurreccion form she isn't wearing a shirt (like hallibel, who no longer wears her jacket) and her shirt is replaced by more bone armor, which covers her breasts, then runs down the middle of her stomach (the middle of her ribcage), circles her Hollow hole and then ends. Her hair also grows longer, intertwining with bone armor that runs directly down her spine to form a long tail. Everything has its own use, which will be revealed in the next chapter.**

**Let me know what you think, and thank you to all those who have reviewed the last few chapters!**


	48. Part 4: Mantis Religiosa

_..._

* * *

><p>"<em>That wound is as deep as the ocean<em>. _That bloody murder is as colorless as death."_

* * *

><p>It came as a surprise to Leona that her power was not so easily controllable as she had initially assumed. Nor was it as impressive as she had been hoping, for that matter. The Hollow armor only covered parts of her torso and her arms, whereas Grimmjow's armor had covered his entire body and changed his appearance almost completely. Her gray eyes roamed across her two new arms, which rose away from her skin to click like big, boney centipedes in the air. She made a face; She was a little disappointed.<p>

"What's that look for, huh?" Nnoitra's snake-like voice broke through her thoughts, and at last she tore her eyes away from her extra set of paws, instead choosing to settle them on Nnoitra. His slanted eyes were fixed solely on her, and even though he was her opponent at the moment, she was determined to keep an eye on Tesla, who was still restraining Orihime from healing either Ichigo or Nell. "You didn't think you'd be all-powerful, didja?" Leona bit her lip- If she were to be perfectly honest, that was pretty much exactly what she had been hoping for.

Nnoitra scoffed, brandishing his sword momentarily before sticking it blade-first into the sand. "Indigena doesn't mean 'all-powerful'." he said, his sneer growing wider by the second. "It means you're the first. Who knows? Maybe Aizen made some huge mistake when he was makin' ya," Nnoitra laughed loudly at this notion, his eerie laugh filling the air around them. "Maybe you're malfunctioning! Fuckin' prototypes, am I right?" Leona scowled.

"It might just be me, but somehow I doubt that."

"Someone's pretty confident in Aizen-sama." Nnoitra replied, picking his sword out of the sand.

"Well, I mean, isn't he like an evil genius, or something?" she replied, and Nnoitra's permanent sneer turned upside down slightly. Leona blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Nnoitra had vanished. Her breath hitched in her throat, and not a second too soon her Hollow paws had risen up in front of her, blocking Nnoitra's attack easily.

The Quinto Espada frowned deeply, grunting a little as he pushed harder against Leona's partial exoskeleton. It was then that Leona realized that her paws had flattened, their edges now sharper than they had been just a second ago. The dark black claws on the end of them had extended exponentially, the shiny ebony claws now tapering off into dagger-like points. She smiled- Her extra arms could change and bend at will.

Cursing under his breath, Nnoitra backed off, kicking up sand and dust as he was pushed away roughly by Leona's paws. The next minute they retract, laying on top of her arms once more like armor.

"Yeah," Leona murmured, raising her eyes up from her armor to rest on her opponent, who had pointed his Zanpakuto at her once more. "I don't think Aizen made any mistakes."

Then she was gone, vanishing in an instinctual burst of Sonido just as Nnoitra heaved his sword into the ground where she had just been standing. The ground shook, and sand was flying into the air in every which way. The Espada growled, peering over his shoulder to try and find his opponent, who seemed to have pulled a temporary disappearing act.

"It doesn't matter!" Nnoitra called out, glancing right and left quickly in an attempt to pinpoint Leona's new location. "Blades can't cut me! No one's blade can ever cut me!" He received no reply, and he growled under his breath. "Hidin', huh?" he muttered, making a noise in the back of his throat with the effort that it took to heave his Zanpakuto out of the ground. "Afraid I'm gonna-" With a strained growl Leona reappeared, heaving her extra paw in Nnoitra's direction. The boney appendage extended, lengthening and becoming heavier as it traveled through the air.

Nnoitra ducked, avoiding the five sharp claws just barely as they swiped through the air where his chest had just been. His triumphant laugh was cut off, however, as Leona's second paw came crashing down on top of his head, the extra limb now looking more like a club than a paw.

"Oh, sorry, did that hurt?" Leona taunted, moving the club-like extremity to Nnoitra's left side before clubbing him in the other direction. The Quinto Espada was sent flying, stopping only when both he and his Zanpakuto crashed into one of the multiple white towers that filled the sand around Las Noches. Nnoitra snarled angrily, the rocks clicking together loudly as he removed them from his spindly body. Leona groaned inwardly- Was it really too much to ask for him to just pass out or die already?

"Weak attacks like this won't do much, Toy-chan," Nnoitra sniggered. Leona's eyes widened, memories of their last fight together flooding back into the forefront of her mind immediately. It had been brief, and she was surprised with herself for forgetting Nnoitra's tactics so easily; He distracted you with words, and when you got too flustered to think straight, he took you down. Leona frowned; She refused to let him get to her. "If this is all you've got, you're as good as de-"

The rest of Nnoitra's words did not even make it past his lips, for the next moment he was pulled to the ground, realizing too late that Leona's Hollow paw had hidden itself in the sand. Ripping his ankle out of the paw's grip, Nnoitra stood upright once again, pointing his sword at Leona accusingly.

"Sneak attacks? Is that really all ya got?" he sneered. The next second he was gone, appearing behind Leona and taking a swipe at her neck with his Zanpakuto. Leona ducked, swiveling around on her hands to kick him roughly in the gut, sending him flying back yet again. His retreat didn't last long, though, and the next second he had utilized Sonido once more to take a mighty swing for her neck. Realizing that she was rapidly losing the upper hand, Leona pushed herself away from Nnoitra, skidding through the sand before crouching to a stop some yards away from him.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she was sure that it was more than clear to Nnoitra that she was tiring quickly. She had no idea how to use her powers, much less activate them in the first place, and she was well aware that she had little hope of defeating the Fifth Espada in Aizen's army with kicks and punches. Sighing, Leona allowed her eyes to slide closed, but keeping her ears trained on both her opponent and Tesla.

That was when she felt it- Jairo's power coursing through her veins like blood. Although his blade had disappeared, he was still with her, in the form of Hollow armor and raw, unrivaled power. She smiled, her ears perking up as she hear Nnoitra use Sonido once again. She had only a second- She knew that. All she had was a single second to gather what power she had, and hope that it worked. That same burning sensation that she got when using her Cero coursed through her entire body, and for a moment she feared that she might burn up from the inside out. She heard Nnoitra move again, this time closer, and she clenched her fists in preparation.

"_**H**__**oguera Hueso*!**_"

Flames roared around her, and through the crackling and popping of the fire that surrounded her, she heard Nnoitra's agonizing screams. Leona smirked, standing up from the sand, Leona turned to face her opponent, who was now grabbing his hand in pain. Upon closer inspection, Leona saw that the flesh on his hand was raw, red and smoking, the first layer of flesh completely burned away. In some places what flesh still remained had been blackened and charred, and the acrid smell of burned flesh filled the air.

Nnoitra's angry eyes fixed on Leona, his smirk pulled downwards in a mixture of pain and rage. Leona took a slow step forward, dragging her flaming paws behind her. The sand below her melted together, the tiny grains coming together to form into glass, which cracked and shattered beneath her feet and she walked. Nnoitra continued to growl angry from deep within his throat, taking several steps backwards in a desperate attempt to avoid his approaching attacker.

"Maybe no one can cut you, Nnoitra," she mused, her boney paws clicking and moving around her body like eels in the water. "But I guess even that special Hierro can't stand up against the heat of Hellfire."

"Hellfire, huh...?" Nnoitra choked out, still clutching his hand gingerly to his chest, back away even more. "Fuck you, _Toy-chan. _What're ya gonna do- Toast me?" he goaded, using his other hand to raise his sword up once more. "I'd like to see ya try! _**Pray, Santa Teresa!**_"

"... Fuck."

In an enormous burst of bright golden energy, Nnoitra executed his resurreccion. Painful winds whipped around Leona's face as she planted her paws in the ground in an attempt to hold her ground. She narrowed her eyes, watching with interest as all the released energy came together in the middle of Nnoitra's blade, only to be released once again before vanishing entirely. The sand scratched her skin, and Leona felt her heart rate quicken. This would be her first time fighting an Espada in their released form... And it was just her luck that would be Nnoitra.

The Quinto Espada had now grown an extra set of insect-like arms, and each in each of his hands he now held an enormous scythe. Uneven horns now decorated his head, along with an enormous yellow scar that ran directly down the side of his face. A toothed Hollow mask now covered the eye that had previously been obscured by a white eyepatch.

"I look sexy, right?" Nnoitra taunted, twirling his scythes through the air all at once. Leona replied with a deep frown of disgust, though she said nothing. "That release of Jeagerjaques's ain't nothin' compared to mine!" With an enormous crash, Nnoitra's blades slashed against Leona's paws. A dull thud came from Leona's Hollow paws as she continued to push against Nnoitra's weight, his heavy scythes forcing her farther and farther back with every push.

"You... You're not gonna beat me with brute force, Nnoitra," Leona said, her voice low from the strain of pushing against her opponent. Nnoitra was sneering once again, his one eye narrowing almost happily- The next moment, Leona realized why. Deep red blood spattered the sharp edge of Nnoitra's scythe as he drew it straight across Leona's stomach, earning a strangled cry of pain from the red haired girl. The droplets of blood blended with the color of her hair, and the metallic tang of blood filled Leona's nostrils to the point where it almost made her vomit.

"Nah, but I can can still beat ya," he replied. He slid across the sand, pushing himself away from Leona as she slouched to the ground, her white leggings dappled red from the blood. "That really all ya got?" he scoffed, rolling his single eye as Leona continued to lay in the sand. "Bitch-ass Arr-" His words ceased as Leona's Hollow armor blazed once more, the flames that had faded upon her collapse jumping up to lick at her skin once again.

"Nice try, asshole," she grumbled, spitting blood out of her mouth as she pushed herself upwards. The shattering noise of the sand turning to glass and then breaking could be heard just above the roar of her flames, and she smirked up at Nnoitra when she at last stood straight again. The slash in her stomach had almost completely healed, the only visible evidence of her ever being injured at all being a thin line running straight through her now useless tattoo, the one remnant of her days with Amaterasu. "You forget, I've got Hierro, too."

"... Damn."

They went at each other like wolves, clawing, slashing and even biting with all they had. From where Orihime stood, Tesla's hand still over her mouth, she could just barely hear when Nnoitra would make snide remark. Whenever this happened, it seemed that Leona's anger and power would increase ten-fold, and the booming noise of bodies crashing into rubble or scythes clanging against bone would fill her ears even more than they had already. Casting her eyes downwards, Orihime began to stare at Ichigo, whose labored breathing was rapidly slowing with each passing minute.

Her cheeks were raw from the heat that radiated from Leona's released form, the crackling Hellfire flames washing over her on the Hueco Mundo winds. The hot air scalded her skin, and she could only imagine what it must have been like for Nnoitra to be so close to such a powerful heat. The sand surrounding the dueling pair had all melted and then hardened into glass, the shiny but shattered surface reflecting tiny images of the fight going on just above them. Orihime pursed her lips worriedly- She _needed_ for Leona to hurry. She needed Leona to _win. Ichigo_ needed Leona to win.

A sudden burst of bright scarlet flames buffeted Orihime against Tesla's chest, and she felt the short blonde Arrancar flinch against the blistering heat of the wind. Her hair whipped across her face, stinging the sensitive skin on her face.

Then the noise stopped.

From the whirlwind of flames, sand, wind and blades, Nnoitra and Leona emerged, each looking just as tired as the other. Nnoitra was bleeding heavily, his exposed chest cut up and bleeding with what looked oddly similar to the claw marks one might receive from an angry house cat. Horrible looking burns as deep as any cut from a sword adorned his arms, legs and neck, the ruined flesh shining an angry red color as smoke rose off of the wounds. Blood dribbled out from between his lips, and even though he had four different arms, he didn't bother to lift a single one to wipe his face clean.

Opposite Nnoitra stood Leona, her eyelids looking heavy, as though she had been deprived of sleep. Her deep carmine hair, that had previously been arranged around her face almost like a lion's mane, was now rumpled, singed and bloody. Enormous cuts ran up and down each of her arms, and even her Hollow armor had been scratched quite a bit. Blood tricked down the skin on her stomach, some of it dripping across her Hollow Hole in a way that made Orihime feel just a little bit uncomfortable. She briefly wondered what it must feel like to have a gaping hole through one's body, but before she could so much as ponder the puzzling subject, Nnoitra had turned his angry eye in the direction of Tesla.

"Yes, Nnoitra-sama," he muttered, and a stifled whimper escaped Orihime's lips as Tesla gripped the hilt of his Zanpakuto. Eyes wide, Orihime watched as Leona's head whipped around to look Orihime straight in the eyes, and Leona could tell that she was afraid. "_**Strike down, Verruga!**_" Orihime stifled a scream as Tesla's hand engorged to the size of dinner plates, his claws digging into her face harshly as his body transformed. Nnoitra's sneer widened as Tesla took a step forward, still gripping Orihime tightly in his fist. A sickening crack met Orihime's ears, and her eyes widened, watching as Tesla's hoof shatter Ichigo's ankle.

"Ichigo!" Leona screamed, pushing against her exhaustion and sprinting in his direction. Her Hollow paws extended, bones clicking together as the floated up into the air- A stabbing pain sent a shock to Leona's nervous system, and she fell to the ground mid step. Her Hollow paws followed her, crashing to the ground and spraying sand into the air all around her. Shock painted her features as her breathing and heart rate quickened, realizing too late that Nnoitra was standing right behind her, the handle of his Zanpakuto stuck clean through her body; She had been skewered like a pig on a spit.

"Sorry, Indigena," Nnoitra snickered, turning his eyes upwards to watch as Tesla raised his other fist. "But those kids ya wanted to save so badly... You're about to watch them get sliced into slabs of meat." Leona let out a strangled cry, hot tears stinging her eyes as she allowed her flames to extinguish all together.

"Ichi... Ichigo..." she stammered, raising a single hand, as if reaching out to the orange haired boy would somehow save him. Pain coursed through her body, and exhaustion was quickly overtaking her mind. She had failed. Even if she struggled, there was no way that Nnoitra would let her get away quickly enough to save Ichigo. And if Ichigo died now, then what was the point? Her hand fell to the sand as she shut her eyes, waiting to hear the horrible noise that would spell the end for her. She waited... And she waited... But still the noise didn't come. Instead, she heard something else; A name. Just a name.

"Kenpachi?"

* * *

><p><strong>To Jessica: I wouldn't say that HioriLeona becoming an Arrancar is "Technically incorrect", since this is a fanfiction. However, I appreciate you bringing up this point and, since you asked, I will explain. The reason that Hiori/Leona became an Arrancar instead of a Vizard is basically die to Aizen's meddling and experimenting with her soul, which is explained in later chapters after the one you reviewed for. Also, unlike the Vizards, Hiori/Leona cannot remove her Hollow mask or any of the bits of Hollow armor that cover her skin at will. She's basically stuck with them. In addition to that, she also has a permanent Hollow Hole, which makes her more Hollow than Shinigami, thus, an Arrancar. Hope that cleared up your questions, and thanks for the review!**

**To Dark Mind of the American Teen: To be perfectly honest, I have been seriously contemplating making the end of this story the end of my FF career. Also, I'm beginning to think that, even though I'd like to finish up in 10 chapters or so, it'll probably end up being over by the time I reach like chapter 70 or something. It'll probably end up being more like 20 chapters than 10, but oh well! And Leona and Hiori will always be interchangeable in my mind, so no worries! And if you do end up drawing Leona's Ressureccion, I'd love to see it, I can't wait!**

****hoguera hueso: means Bonfire Bone. This attack covers Leona's Hollow armor with bright red flames, which can either leave horrible burns or disintegrate its target entirely, depending on how long it touches it.**

**This whole chapter is pretty much just most of the fight between Leona and Nnoitra, ending with Kenpachi's arrival much in the same manner as he did in the manga. I'd like to hear any thoughts you all have on the writing style of the fight scene- I've always had trouble with them, so I'm always a little nervous with fight chapters.**

**On another note, I was thinking about doing a short chapter before continuing with the story, possibly a chapter that mainly focuses on Ichigo and Leona, though it'd be completely unrelated to this chapter- Kind of a side story. It's just that it's been pointed out to me that their relationship seems sort of one-sided... And I'm kind of inclined to agree. So I'm thinking if I do a sort of side story extra-chapter type thing that focuses on just them. I'm putting a poll on my profile so go vote or tell me what you think of this in a review!**

**Thanks so much, and don't forget to review,**

**-Shiuta-san**


	49. Side Story: Things Like Loneliness

_..._

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><p>'Rewind the time a little bit from Main Story Bleach...'<p>

_"When was it? That he stopped smiling..."_

**[THINGS LIKE LONELINESS]**

* * *

><p>Even though her eyes remained shut tight, the heavy beat of raindrops on headstones filled Hiori's ears, along with the loud rustling of leaves in the wind. Allowing her eyelids to flutter open, she soon found herself staring straight up through the trees, her eyes getting lost in the cloudy gray expanse that was the evening sky. She sighed, shivering as she realized that she was soaking wet. Fat drops of rain trickled down her cheeks, and she sighed. Now she'd probably have a cold by this time tomorrow.<p>

"You up?"

Hiori jumped, water spraying off of her skin as she shot up into a sitting position faster than she could blink. For a moment she felt dizzy, her sudden change of position seeming to have thrown off her balance considerably. Blinking rapidly, the world around her soon came into focus, and she squinted up only to come face to face with Ichigo's waist. For a moment they were both quiet, Hiori still getting her bearings. Slowly she looked upwards, meeting Ichigo's eyes awkwardly. His stony expression told her all she needed to know; The situation was indeed as awkward as she had expected.

"This is weird, huh?"

"Yeah. Yep." she replied quickly, pulling herself up using the headstone on her right as support. "Uh-huh... Yes." Hiori felt her cheeks heating up rapidly despite the cool rain falling around her, and she turned away from Ichigo in a desperate attempt to conceal what little dignity she still possessed; It was then that she realized that the light, robin's egg blue dress that she had worn to the cemetery was now completely transparent. A small 'eep' of surprise escaped her throat as she stared down, and Ichigo's eyes widened as he, too, realized just in what a turn the already ridiculously awkward situation had just taken.

"Stop looking!" she yelped as she desperately attempted to cover herself. Ichigo obeyed immediately, turning all the way around until his back was facing her. The minutes passed by, the two acquaintances standing facing away from each other for the entirety of it. The steady beat of the raindrops was all the remained to fill the silence, and Hiori soon felt herself calming down, soon allowing her eyes to wander over in Ichigo's direction.

The orange haired teen still stood with his back to her, one hand in his pocket while the other grasped the handle of an umbrella. Hiori finally straightened up, flinching slightly as he moved. Much to her surprise, however, he had removed his shirt instead of turning around. Holding out the crumpled gray cloth in her direction, Ichigo waved it wildly around in the air for a few seconds before speaking.

"Here." he said curtly, still not turning around. "You can... Uh, you can use this..." After a moment's pause Hiori took the shirt from his outstretched hand, pulling it over her head and allowing it to slip over her soaked dress, the shirt itself ending only a few inches before her dress did. She raised her eyebrows, surprised at how much a difference in body build could make when it came to clothing sizes.

"Thanks." she muttered, still feeling more than embarrassed about the situation. Sighing audibly, Ichigo turned around to face her, not noticing as Hiori struggled to keep her flushed cheeks in check and her eyes away from his well muscled chest. Shaking her head quickly, Hiori took a step down from her perch on the foundation of the headstone, coming to a stop to stand by Ichigo. Her eyes fell on the familiar headstone- She still remembered the name that was engraved on it, having seen it only an hour or so previously. She bit her lip, knitting her brows thoughtfully as she stared down at the headstone. She wondered what it felt like, to loose one's mother- She could never manage to remember even the slightest detail about her own parents, after all, and how could one know what it felt like to lose something that you couldn't even remember having?

Briefly, the red head contemplated asking the boy who stood beside her. Perhaps he would answer her in a way that she could understand, and she would be just that much closer to remembering anything about her old family. _Don't be stupid, _she thought to herself, and she dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it had come. Instead the two remained standing in comfortable silence, standing shoulder to shoulder in order to let the umbrella cover the both of them. Hiori didn't really see how it mattered- After all, they already both looked like drown victims, they could probably just do away with the umbrella, it wasn't as if it were helping things.

Despite this, Hiori smiled, a feeling of calm washing over her as she felt the heat from Ichigo's body seep through her skin. Even through the steady pitter-patter of the rain just beyond the edge of the umbrella, Hiori could hear his steady breathing, just the sound of it succeeding in turning her cheeks a soft pink. For a second she was tempted to rest her head on his shoulder, but she was drawn out of her musings and fantasies before she could act on any one of them.

"I know it's not really my place," Ichigo's voice broke through the silence harshly, but Hiori didn't think that he had meant to. It was a tone of voice that simply came from walking on eggshells, so to speak. "But do... I mean, Hiori do you ever..." Raising a single eyebrow carefully, the red head turned her gray eyes upwards, watching Ichigo's face carefully as he struggled with his words. "What I'm asking is, do you blame them?"

"Blame who?" Hiori replied curiously, and Ichigo turned to face her, though neither seemed to care that they were now only inches away from the other's lips.

"Your parents," he whispered. His voice was almost too soft for her to hear, but it came to her just over the sound of the pounding rain. She was silent for several minutes, carefully pondering this question.

"What's the point?" she sighed, answering Ichigo's question at last. This sudden answer was accompanied with a breathy laugh, though even Ichigo could tell that she wasn't as light-hearted about the subject as she would have liked him to believe. "Blaming only makes people angry. And it's not any use, anyways. It's not like they're around to apologize." Hiori received only a single nod in reply, though Ichigo had turned away from her and was now staring thoughtfully at his mother's grave. "Why?"

"... Just something my old man said to me," he said quietly. Taking the hint, Hiori ceased to speak, following Ichigo's lead and turning to face Kurosaki Masaki's headstone. "Hiori?"

"Yeah?"

"... Come on," he instructed, waving slightly at the gravestone as he turned on his heel. "I'll walk you home."

* * *

><p>"You do realize that we're in some seriously deep shit when we go back to school tomorrow?"<p>

Ichigo merely grunted in reply, gazing out from the top of his roof and off into the sunset as Hiori glared at him. Despite their briefly being united against the 'Bohaha Man' at school, Hiori couldn't help but feel that Ichigo had grown more than a little distant from her since their heart-to-heart in the graveyard only days ago. But perhaps that was simply Ichigo's way- Hiori figured that it must have been, since no one else seemed to act like it was unordinary when he closed himself off to them.

"You _do_ get that, though," she continued, narrowing her eyes in the orange haired boy's direction. "Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, waving his arm lazily in her direction. "But what're we gonna do- I mean, we couldn't just let a Hollow eat all those people."

"Too bad we can't tell them that," Hiori sighed, leaning back on her arms to gaze out at the sunset. It had certainly been one hell of a day, and she was more tired than she could ever remember being, despite not having done much- But assisting someone in warding off a forming Hollow was pretty damn tiring, she was sure anyone else who had ever been in her situation could attest to that much, at least. "They'd be so damn grateful if they knew we'd just saved their sorry asses."

"Pretty sure Don what's-his-name got all the credit for that one."

"Sucks,"

"Tell me about it."

Hiori let out a bright but barking laugh, the sound carrying over the empty streets and out towards the center of Karakura Town. Smiling contentedly to herself, Hiori looked in Ichigo's direction once again, not really sure what to say, but wanting to speak all the same.

"Final exams are in a few days," she said, trying her best to be as nonchalant as humanly possible. All Ichigo did was grunt, though his expression told her clearly enough that he was less than pleased about the event that was to take place less than three days from now. "Makes you think, though, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah, if you bother to show up for it," he replied sourly, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees. At this, Hiori couldn't help but burst out laughing, the sound echoing across the empty streets once more. Ichigo frowned over his shoulder in her direction. "What?"

"I didn't mean the test, dumbass!" she chortled, clutching her sides as she continued to laugh out loud. Ichigo's frown deepened, and had she been looking Hiori would have noticed his cheeks become lightly flush. Her face, however, was currently being held in between her knees in a rather unfeminine way as she struggled to get ahold of her abrupt giggle fit.

"You done?" Ichigo asked briskly, still scowling as Hiori lifted her head back up. Her cheeks were flushed from laughing and she was completely out of breath, but she nodded all the same, brushing her long hair out of her eyes as she turned to meet Ichigo's gaze.

"What I meant, Ichigo, was that isn't it weird how people like you, me... Rukia... How we're out saving people's souls from being eaten, and we're actually still worried about some stupid midterm test?" After much pondering, Ichigo replied with a muffled maybe, turning away from Hiori's still flushed face to stare out at the setting sun, which had now all but disappeared from the sky. "Don't you ever wonder if it's bigger than this?"

"What is?"

"I mean, it's not just Rukia." she replied thoughtfully, scooting slowly to the edge of the roof as she spoke. "What's Soul Society like, d'you think? How many Shinigami are there?" she mused, swinging her legs over the edge of the roof. "... Are Hollows the only bad guys out there?" This final thought left the two teens sitting in an awkward silence, each apparently pondering this less than pleasing idea. "W... Well, whatever," Hiori muttered finally, turning to say her goodbyes to Ichigo, only to find their faces mere inches apart. "... Ichigo?"

"Uh... What?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to use the stairs." he replied swiftly, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the open window, which led into his room. Hiori swallowed before laughing nervously, though neither party seemed very inclined to move from their current position.

"Nah," she said at last, standing up in one fluid motion and nearly knocking heads with Ichigo. "The roof's fine."

"Hey, Hio-"

"Uh-huh, bye!" she said brightly, cutting him off as she clambered over the side of the roof and grabbed onto the drain pipe, vanishing from sight and leaving Ichigo alone on top of his roof, the darkness finally covering all of Karakura Town.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ichigo?<em>"

Hiori spoke in almost silent whispers, her voice carrying only for a few inches before it was swallowed up by the air around her. All was quiet within Urahara Shop, though Hiori could just make out the distant snores of the blonde shopkeeper, who slept in the room directly down the hall.

Hiori herself lay on her side, the skin on her side that bore the tattoo pressed firmly against the makeshift bed on which she now lay. The orange haired boy beside of her breathed in sharply, wincing unconsciously in pain before breathing out again. Hiori blinked, gray eyes shimmering in the dark as she watched the boy sleep. Her eyes fell on the bandages that covered his new wounds, and she felt relief wash over her once more- It had been so close. So very, very close.

The steady in and out of his breathing was oddly comforting to her, though she had a funny feeling that doing something like this could possibly be viewed as borderline stalker-ish. She sighed, breathing heavily out of her nose as she continued to stare at Ichigo's sleeping form. It wasn't as if he would ever find out.

"Hiori?"

The red head nearly jumped out of her skin, her eyes wide as her body froze in surprise. The orange haired boy next to her was now meeting her stare head on, his hazel eyes boring into her own passive grey ones with an almost fiery intensity. She opened her lips and closed them, no sound coming out, like a goldfish, and she instantly felt the need to smack herself upside the head.

"Hiori?"

"What?" she hissed back, her voice a mixture of anger, panic and surprise all in one. To be totally honest, she figured that Ichigo was the one with more of a right to be surprised than she was, but at the moment she really couldn't care less. Ichigo made no answer, only continued to stare at her from his place on the bed. After several minutes of waiting Hiori furrowed her brows, putting her nose closer to Ichigo in an attempt to gage his reaction. Ichigo made no movement, instead continuing to stare straight ahead. Hiori waved her hand back and forth directly in front of his eyes; Still nothing.

"Ichigo?"

"Hiori?"

The red head frowned. This was just... _Weird._ Sighing loudly she sat up, deciding that it would be best if she left. Sleepwalkers tended to freak her out just a bit and, judging by her waving of the hand in front of the eyes experiment conducted only a moment ago, she figured that she had a pretty decent guess as to just where this whole venture was headed. Ichigo, however, stopped her, his arm flopping around her waist and pulling her back roughly. Hiori frowned, glaring straight into Ichigo's eyes, which were now glazed over as though he were sleeping with his eyes open. Which, Hiori reminded herself, he pretty much was.

Her breathing soon slowed down, both her breathing and her heartbeat seeming to naturally synchronize themselves with the body closest to her. The combined beat of her and Ichigo's hearts beat through her body like a soft drum beat, and she suddenly found her eyelids feeling extremely heavy. She fought it, however, knowing that if Urahara were to find her here that he would never allow her to live it down.

Sighing yet again, she brought her lips closer to Ichigo's, stopping as soon as she felt his breath on her lips. She bit her lower lip nervously, closing her eyes and angling her face a different way, instead choosing to rest her cheek against his, her lips at his ear. Hiori took a deep breath, breathing out the words that she knew she would feel too nervous to say had he been awake.

"I don't know what I would have done if you had died."

With those last words, Hiori stood up, carefully removing Ichigo's arm from her person as she did so. Taking one last glance back at the still sleeping carrottop, she smiled to herself, running her slender fingers through her hair before turning towards the doorway. He wouldn't even know she had been there at all.

* * *

><p>A cool breeze ran through the tall grass, the stalks shifting the bottom of her hakama as she stood in the field surrounding the Shiba residence. In her hands she still held the Reisyukaku that Kuukaku had given to her in her hands, the heavy sphere causing an ache in her arms, though she refused to set it down.<p>

It all seemed so surreal, now; Her memories were only a part of the life she had lead, she had always known that much. But in her two or so years with the Arisawas, Hiori never would have guessed that she had spent her life before that killing innocent people ruthlessly and without remorse. For a moment she felt like bursting into angry tears, or even yelling at the sky- _Why couldn't things just be simple, for once?_ But her need to make herself look as sane as possible in front of Kuukaku was quick to override her anger.

She wanted someone, _anyone,_ to blame, but then those words she had said to Ichigo in the cemetery came back to her. Blaming others only made people angry. And nobody had _made_ her kill anyone. She'd done it because she'd felt like it and, although it wasn't really much comfort, it made things much simpler. Blaming herself made no one angry. That much was clear enough.

"Hiori?"

It was Ichigo's voice that broke through her bitter thoughts, and she jumped, nearly dropping the Reisyukaku on her toe as she did so. She spun around as quickly as possible, gray eyes meeting brown. Ichigo's orange hair blue in the soft breeze that had shaken the grass only a minute ago, and Hiori smiled kindly at the orange haired Shinigami, who made a face.

"What's with that look?" he asked, stepping forward to stand beside her as she returned to staring over the grass and onward to the starry horizon line. Hiori sighed, though she did her best to keep the sadness she felt out of it.

"What do you think they'll do to me?" she whispered, refusing to meet Ichigo's eyes even as she heard him change positions. "Those Shinigami in Soul Society. What do you think they'll do when they see me?"

"I guess that depends on what you did." he replied, and Hiori laughed bitterly. If it was based on what she did, then no doubt they would kill her on sight. "What _did_ you do, exactly?" Hiori laughed again, this time more softly, though this did not succeed in getting the persistent Shinigami off her case.

"It's not important," she murmured, at last turning to face him. "I guess worrying really doesn't do me any good, does it?" she mused, and Ichigo laughed as their faces drew closer.

"No, probably not."

"I'm not worried," she assured, though mostly for her own benefit. Ichigo chuckled in the back of his throat, and Hiori could now feel his hot breath on her face.

"OI!" The loud, drunken voice of Kuukaku brought the pair out of their trance. The two pulled away from each other quicker than the eye could follow, having just been inches apart. Both teen's cheeks were just as flushed as the other, and Hiori crossed her arms across her chest in embarrassment. "Come in you two! Have... Uh... Ha-ave a drink!" Kuukaku sang from the porch. Turning back to face each other, Hiori and Ichigo locked eyes for only a moment before speaking.

"This never happened."

"Roger that, my friend."

And then they were gone, walking briskly side by side to join Kuukaku and the others for a drink.

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><p><strong>So what did you guys think?<strong>

**Idea based on Kubo's short chapter (chapter 286.5) Bleach Untold Stories.**

**This short is a compilation of a few more romantic-friendship type scenes between Ichigo and Hiori/Leona that I did actually initially have written in, but then thought maybe it was too much, so I took them out. But I give them to you now, after 48 chapters... Maybe that wasn't the way to do it, but it just never felt right, so I'm giving them to you now in the form of an extra short chapter. I had most of them saved on TextEdit on my computer, but a lot of them I just deleted from the chapters they were in, so they were lost. But I hope you enjoyed them!**

**To Dark Mind of the American Teen: I will absolutely not let this story die- I've put in too much time for that, so no worries! But unless there is a huge possibility of a sequel, it'll probably be my last completed, multi-chapter work. I've had a good run, though, so it doesn't really bother me too much. But, who knows, plans change! P.S. I can't wait to see your drawing- Could you possibly PM it to me or something when you're finished? I'd love to see it!**

**Next chapter: The fight between Nnoitra and Leona continues, and Kenpachi has at last made his appearance!**

**Thank you so much for all who reviewed!**


	50. Part 4: Fall Into My Inferno

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><p><em>"True, we don't have anything such as 'fate'. It's only those who drink in ignorance and fear and stumble over their own feet."<em>

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><p>Leona's eyes widened in a blatant display of surprise. Her gaze was now locked on the enormous Gotei Thirteen Captain, whose spiked hair rustled with every small movement he made, filling the tense silence with the jingle of the bells that decorated his hair. He was holding back Tesla's enormous fist with his sword, which was slightly surprising considering that Tesla's fist was at least eight times its size. The pain shooting through her stomach temporarily forgotten, Leona watched as Kenpachi continued to ward off Nnoitra's Fraccion with seemingly little effort.<p>

"_Kenpachi_?" she breathed, the relief evident in her voice. The scarred and hardened Shinigami Captain shot a small, uncharacteristic smile in her direction.

"Is this really... This is really Kenpachi?" Ichigo said, his expression just as surprised as Leona's.

"Eh?" Kenpachi replied, his one eye leaving Leona to stare straight at the Substitute Shinigami below him. "Of course it is. Did they kick your ass so bad that you lost your damn mind?"

Before Leona knew what was happening, Nnoitra had released his Zanpakuto, though the hilt still protruded straight out of Leona's back. With a grunt of effort, Nnoitra dug a single fingertip straight into the sand, and Leona could only watch as Nnoitra's expression quickly changed to match her and Ichigo's, though with a little bit more fear than surprise.

"C'mon, Leona," Kenpachi growled

Leona, however, was no longer really paying attention to Kenpachi any longer. Instead, she was entirely focussed on Nnoitra, whose expression was quickly changing from a mixture of fear and surprise to one of horrified realization. "That all ya got?... Don't worry. I'll take care of this guy," he said, jerking his head in Ichigo's direction. Before Leona could mutter her thanks, the enormous, bull-like creature that was Tesla had shifted its attention from Ichigo to Kenpachi, staring down at him over his tusked snout.

"Who... Are you?" Tesla grumbled.

His enormous mouth moved slowly, and Leona grimaced when she saw spit flying into the air. Kenpachi remained unmoved however, simply continuing to stare up at Tesla as he removed his fist from Kenpachi's blade. Tesla snorted in an animalistic manner, clearly affronted by Kenpachi's continued silence.

"Not gonna bother replying?" he continued, bringing his fist up in preparation for a punch. "Then I'll make you disappear,"

It was then that Nnoitra chose to speak, and he ripped the end of his Zanpakuto out of Leona's back as he screamed at the sole member of his Fraccion.

"GET OUT OF THERE, TESLA!"

But it was all too late, and no sooner had Tesla brought down his fist Kenpachi had sliced it off. In a single swift movement the entire fist had been severed from the wrist, crimson blood spraying through the air as the enormous appendage fell to the ground before settling in the sand. Speaking over Tesla's wounded calls to Nnoitra, Kenpachi turned towards Leona and nodded reassuringly.

"Kick his ass, Hentai girl."

Leona chose to ignore the memories that this moniker brought with them, instead channeling her hatred for it through her legs as she flipped over on her back, wrapping her ankles around Nnoitra's neck before flipping him to the ground. The Espada grunted in pain as his skull made contact with the ground, and Leona bent her back and brought her hands over her head, flipping back into standing position. The pain from her impalement still radiated through her body, but she ignored them, biting her tongue in an attempt to cancel out the pain that she was feeling all over.

"Taking me from behind, huh?" she joked, glowering up at Nnoitra as he clambered to his feet once again. The sneering Espada chuckled darkly to himself, twirling his four scythes easily through his four sets of fingers. Then Leona grimaced, thinking about what she had just said, not to mention _who_ she had said it to. "... I take that back, that's disgusting."

The next second he was upon her, scythes swiping and slicing every which way. The air right beside of her ear was disturbed as his enormous weapon barely missed her face, and Leona soon found herself bending over backwards to avoid the deadly edges. Nnoitra grunted as the tip of her foot caught him just under her chin, sending his teeth jutting into each other as he flew into the air with the force of Leona's kick.

No sooner had he landed in the sand was he on her again, pressing all four of his scythes as hard as he could into Leona's Hollow paws. Leona gritted her teeth with effort, using all of her weight to push against Nnoitra, who was grinning down in a menacing manner, as if the wider he smiled the more fear she would begin to feel. But Leona felt no fear. Somehow, she felt like there was no way that she could lose, even though at that very second it felt like she was losing. With every passing second, her feet backed further and further in the sand, bringing her closer to Ichigo and the others- All of her friends, who were depending on her to end this. This was all they were asking of her; It was the least she could do. Beating this guy was the least she could do.

"It's too bad," Nnoitra snickered, and Leona bristled as she felt him gather his reiatsu. "Aizen-sama had a hell of a lot banking on ya... Oh well," With those final words, Nnoitra stuck out his tongue, the bold black number five filling Leona's vision. The golden orb began to form on the tip of his tongue, and Leona's gray eyes widened as the realization suddenly hit her- Would this be the last thing she ever saw?

Then the Cero exploded straight in her face. It wasn't anything like she had been expecting- Not at all. On the contrary, it was actually quite pleasant. She didn't feel any pain at all; In fact, she felt warm and fuzzy. It was a brilliant sort of high that she had never before experienced, and even though she kept her eyes wide open, all she could see was the golden gleam of what remained of Nnoitra's shimmering Cero.

_Don't worry about it,_ Leona's head filled with Jairo's voice, which was reassuring despite her lacking the feeling of panic. _The flames can absorb Reiatsu-based attacks. Lucky us,_ And then the golden gleam was gone, and Leona found herself looking at Nnoitra through a cage of what looked like an enormous, skeletal mouth. The white teeth of the cage gleamed in the dim light of Hueco Mundo, and it was then the she realized that they were covered in brilliant white flames. As she watched, however, she found that their color flickered between white, and the calming golden color of Nnoitra's Cero. Turning her attention away from the flames, Leona watched with slight amusement as Nnoitra's slanted eyes glanced around frantically, as if he were looking for some way out. Something in her heart told her that he wouldn't find one- Not now, not ever.

"Thanks for that," she said brightly, flexing her own fingers as she prepared herself. "If you hadn't done that, I don't know if I could have beaten you." Nnoitra continued to attempt to stay as calm as possible, though Leona could see his already naturally narrow eyes narrowed even more. "I've never used this technique before, after all."

"The fuck is this?" Nnoitra growled, and Leona suddenly realized that all of his scythes and extra arms had disappeared.

_This technique absorbs the Reiatsu and mixes it with your own,_ Leona paused, ignoring Nnoitra's angry calls as she listened to what Jairo had to say. _Then it cancels out whatever Reiatsu is left in its original host, _The red head's eyes widened, and Nnoitra made a face.

"And what does that mean?" she whispered, and Nnoitra's already confused expression increased tenfold.

"Hey, who the hell're ya talkin' to?" he called furiously, glaring around the cage that held him with his single visible eye. Leona continued to ignore him, turning all her attention to Jairo.

_It means that, as long as he's in this cage, he can't use any of his Reiatsu. It's useless, no matter how much he has, because the Reiatsu that we absorbed from him is being used against him._

At last Leona turned her attention back to Nnoitra, who was still silently fuming at the far end of the cage. His shoulders were bobbing up and down, as if he were trying his best to keep his anger in check. Then he took a step forwards, much to Leona's surprise. His furious expression was all that she was focussed on as she frantically tried to contact Jairo again.

"Can he still attack me in here?" she whispered, too quiet for Nnoitra to hear.

_Well, yeah, _Jairo replied in a tone as if he thought even the very thought of this question was completely and utterly ridiculous. _It doesn't incapacitate him from kicking your ass in hand-to-hand._

"Damn," Leona muttered, bringing her attention back to the situation at hand just in time to avoid a blow to the face from Nnoitra's right fist. Having missed Leona's face, Nnoitra's fist ran straight into the boney wall of Leona's cage. Snarling with rage, Nnoitra turned to face Leona, only to find that his fist was lodged within the teeth of the cage. Growling even louder this time, Nnoitra yanked his fist whilst lunging straight at Leona- Only to be pulled back yet again.

"What the fuck d'ya think you're doin', huh?" he screamed, writhing with pain as the white-gold flames licked at the flesh of his wrist. Within her mind, Leona heard Jairo sigh with relief.

_The cage has him restrained so you can use it. But hurry, it won't hold for much longer, and then he'll have all of his Reiatsu replaced into his body._

Leona nodded, mostly to herself, earning another look of outrage from the captive Quinto Espada, whose long raven locks were now hanging in his face from having been flinging his body wildly in a desperate attempt to free himself. With his chest and shoulder heaving, his permanent sneer turned completely down, and his slanted eyes, his wild locks gave the finishing touch, giving him a look that was astonishingly similar to that of some sort of feral animal.

For a moment, Leona allowed her eyes to soften. He was like a caged animal, and Leona was sure that by now Nnoitra, unable to attack at all, was quickly beginning to panic. Had she ventured to guess what had been running through his mind, she probably would not have even come close. For, as Nnoitr stared at the woman who he knew was preparing to end his existence, all he could think was that she was the most condescending bitch that he had ever met- Next to Neliel, of course.

Softening her eyes before she slaughtered him would not make him anymore okay with the fact that he was losing- Her pity was better wasted on someone else. It met about as much to him as spitting straight in his face. He'd never give someone else another opportunity like that- He'd just piss on the skulls of every person who got in his way. That was how he had always done it. And that was the way it would always be.

So Nnoitra watched as Leona raised her arms- All four of them. The white-gold flames that covered the cage converged into the empty area that had formed between where her four sets of fingers connected. The enormous fiery orb that formed within the protection of her hands expanded and contracted, as though it were breathing. Nnoitra let out one final, ferocious growl, once again attempting to wrench his fist from the cage that held him. Leona parted her lips, speaking the final words that would be the end of him:

"_**Boca del Infierno*,**_"

The fiery orb hit Nnoitra square in the stomach, knocking the last of his breath from his body. For a moment he was frozen, moving only his eyes as the toothy cage disintegrated around him, sprinkling into the sand like dust before being swept away on the Hueco Mundo winds. Then Nnoitra began to crumble. The hole in his stomach that had been burnt there by Leona's technique expanded, the burning pieces of his body looking more like chunks of red hot coal than burning flesh. A few more moments, and all that remained of the ruthless Fifth Espada was a pile of ash.

Leona's ressureccion vanished along with Nnoitra, disappearing from her body in a wisp of smoke. The red head sighed, turning around where she stood to, at last, allow her eyes to settle on Ichigo, who was now standing upright, looking good as new. Leona smiled, feeling as though an enormous weight had just been lifted off of her shoulders, and Ichigo smiled back.

"Hey," she breathed, though she mentally cursed herself for it. Was that seriously the best she could come up with- _Hey?_ Before she could mentally berate herself for it any further, however, Ichigo had closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms quicker than she could blink. Her chest was crushed against his, but somehow, the part of her that felt uncomfortable was also the part that felt that this felt so right. Over Ichigo's shoulder she could see Orihime blushing, whereas a goofy sort of half-grin had spread over Kenpachi's face. Thinking quickly, Leona pulled away from Ichigo, though she smiled and met his eyes to show that it was not unwelcome.

"You were great," he muttered, though he had turned away so as not to meet her eyes. Leona simply laughed, the movement once again bringing the stabbing pains in her stomach to the forefront of her mind.

"Ugh," she muttered, doubling over and clutching her stomach. Ichigo's eyes widened momentarily before turning to Orihime.

"Inoue, d'you think you-?" Orihime nodded, a large, toothy grin spreading across her face as she left Kenpachi's side, trotting across the sand to assist Ichigo and Leona. It was then that Leona felt it- The spiritual pressure of the Primera Espada.

"Kenpachi, grab Orihime!" she gasped, but it was too late. The lean form of Coyote Starrk now blocked her from seeing Orihime, his white garb standing out next to his dark brown hair. The First Espada bent down lower, his lips nearly touching Orihime's ear as he whispered something to her that none of them could hear. Before she could shout any sort of warning, both Kenpachi and Ichigo had leapt forwards, swords raised and aimed at Starrk- But he was gone before they could even land a hit, and instead their swords clashed with each other.

Starrk and Orihime had vanished.

"Can you hear me, my dear Invaders?" Leona froze, her eyes turning towards the sky, and from the corner of her eyes she saw Kenpachi and Ichigo do the same. She knew this voice all too well-

"Aizen," she growled.

"For your continued success against my Espada, allow me to express my deepest respect." he continued, his voice echoing through each of their heads as though he were speaking to each of them individually. "As of now, we are commencing our invasion of the human world." Leona's breath hitched in her throat- The human world? Even when she had been "Hiori", Aizen had mentioned nothing of plans to invade the human world; At least not yet. She lowered her eyes, glowering angrily at the sand as Jairo's words rang through her skull, _He must have known that you would come back._

"Inoue Orihime, I am leaving in the Fifth Tower," he said, and Leona and Ichigo exchanged puzzled glances. "If you wish to retrieve her, you may come and make your attempt. I no longer have any use for her. Her ability is truly a wonderful one. 'Phenomenon Rejection', an ability far exceeding the capacities permitted by humans. The upper Echelons of Soul Society understood the significance of her ability... And that is why I kidnapped her. In order to unsettle Soul Society, and turn their attentions to their own defenses instead of the human world's."

"No..." Leona whispered. Burying her own face in the sand, she worked with all her might to quell her angry tears, all the while doing her best to block her ears to Aizen's rage inducing words. It was all so horrible. So disgusting. So _evil..._ So clever. He'd had them all playing like puppets in his own personal show. Everything had gone according to his plan. She was drawn out of her horrified musings at the mention of her name.

"As for you, Leona," Aizen's voice said, and both Kenpachi and Ichigo turned their attentions instantly to her. "Thank you so very much for your visit to Las Noches- It's really too bad that you could not stay any longer." Leona raised her face out of the sand, casting a confused glance in Ichigo's direction, who shrugged. "Although your loss is most certainly an unfortunate one... I have gotten what I needed. Enjoy the rest of your life as... A 'good guy'." For a moment he was silent, and Leona thought that he had finally finished.

She had no such luck.

"That being said, my plan has successfully lured four excellent Shinigami Captains into my lands... And here they'll stay." And with those last words, the Garganta that Kenpachi had arrived out of closed with a loud sucking noise, vanishing from sight along with Aizen's voice.

"Karakura Town is going to be destroyed?" Ichigo roared before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Ichigo, stop it!" Leona shrieked. Ichigo paused, and Kenpachi raised his eyebrows. Leona sighed, pushing herself out of the sand with some effort before looking Ichigo straight in the eyes. "Ichigo... You still need to save Orihime." This shut Ichigo up for good, and he no longer showed any signs of wanting to go anywhere. Kenpachi pursed his lips, his eyes looking back and forth from between Ichigo and Leona. "She's up there, Ichigo,"

"I know, but-"

"She's waiting for you!"

"_I know that!_"

The two lapsed back into silence. Each of them were breathing heavily, and Leona was still clutching her stomach in pain. Wincing with pain, though still struggling to hide it, Leona slowly began to shuffle forwards. Ichigo frowned, using Shunpo as Leona stumbled, nearly falling back into the sand. Leona sighed, closing her eyes in an attempt to rein in her frustrations. Her fight with Nnoitra had taken more out of her than she had expected.

"I'll go back." she said finally, untangling herself from Ichigo's arms and looking him in the eyes once again. Ichigo made a face before scoffing loudly.

"What?" he snapped, backing his head away from her as if to check if she had a bump to the head. "You want to go back? By yourself?"

"Yes."

"Uh, no."

"What? Yes!" she retorted, pulling away from Ichigo entirely. "Ichigo, Orihime's all alone!" This seemed to strike a chord, and Ichigo pursed his lips, appearing to second guess himself. "I can use Garganta and get out of here-"

"And what about us?" Ichigo interjected. "When I get Orihime, how will we get out?"

Leona opened her lips to answer, only to shut them again, her lips making a loud sort of flapping noise and giving her the appearance of a fish struggling for air. Ichigo nodded knowingly, rubbing her shoulders in consolation as she frowned down at the ground.

"Well-"

"You got nothin'." Ichigo laughed, and Leona's frown deepened further.

"I-I have something!" she insisted, glaring up at her orange haired companion. "Just gimme a minute!" Ichigo scoffed yet again, rolling his eyes this time. It was around this time that Kenpachi finally decided to involve himself, stepping closer to the arguing pair, arms folded, scowl in place.

"If you two are done with whatever... _This... _Is," he began, giving them a look of disgust as he gestured lazily to the two of them. Leona flushed, knowing full well just to what it was he was referring to. "I know for a fact that we at least have some chance of getting out,"

"What?"

"That Mayuri has some sort of experimental Garganta-"

"Experimental?" Leona interrupted, putting a hand up to stop him. "Experimental, as in, not yet perfected?" Kenpachi simply nodded, as though he saw no problem with what he had just said. "Experimental, as in, _something could go horribly wrong?" _Kenpachi frowned, his eyebrows knitting together as his forehead wrinkled thoughtfully.

"... Well, if you put it like that-"

"Thanks, Kenpachi, but we'll come up with something else," Leona sighed, clutching her stomach as another wave of pain swept through her. He arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah?" he replied, crouching lower so that he was now on eye level with the rambunctious red head. "Like what?" Leona opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it again- It seemed that she was quickly developing a habit of doing this when she had no good comebacks. She shook her head; She'd deal with that issue later. "Thought so. Kurosaki, let her go,"

"Leona, I just don't-"

"Ichigo." Leona cut him off, standing up as straight as she could and taking her hand off of her wound. "Ichigo, I can't save Orihime- And I'm not the one who should." Ichigo kept his light brown eyes fixed on Leona's face, searching for some flicker of fear or self doubt- He found none. "Orihime is going to want you to be the one to save her... You're going to be the one she'll want to see when it's all over." Ichigo stayed quiet, frowning thoughtfully for some time before nodding in resigned agreement. Kenpachi sighed, throwing his hands in the air before turning to walk in the opposite direction.

"Finally!" he growled, grunting as Yoruichi leapt onto his back. "C'mon, Kurosaki,"

Ichigo turned to leave, muttering a soft goodbye to Leona. But before he could leave, Leona grabbed his hand. Ichigo froze, turning and peering over his shoulder to meet Leona's eyes. Her face was flushed- She honestly couldn't explain what she had just done. She was sure that Ichigo hadn't the slightest clue about her feelings- And, even if he did, Kurosaki Ichigo would be the last person to bring them to light, even if he felt the same way. So Leona sighed, her eyelids fluttering shut momentarily before meeting Ichigo's gaze as fearlessly as she could. It seemed so strange that after fighting someone like Nnoitra, feeling no fear all the while, she was afraid of showing this side of her to the densest Substitute Shinigami on the planet.

"Ichigo, I..." she began, breathing in heavily in a desperate attempt to steady her voice. "Ichigo, there's... Okay, here's the thing-" No matter how slow she breathed in and out, it pretty much did jack squat when it came to calming her nerves. She swallowed, attempting to get rid of the lump in her throat that was making it almost painful to speak. Ichigo had turned all the way around by now, and was peering down at her with an intensity that certainly didn't make the situation she was in any easier.

"What is it?" he asked finally. Sighing, Leona shook her head, her short, tousled carmine locks tickling the base of her neck as they moved.

"Nothing," she replied, releasing his wrist. Ichigo paused, looking at her as if to ask _Are you sure_, but Leona simply shook her head. But no sooner had he turned to follow behind Kenpachi, Leona blurted "Wait!" The orange haired boy froze, turning around once again. "Ichigo, when all this is over, I... Ichigo, when we win, there's something I have to tell you." Ichigo smiled, and Leona's eyes widened when she realized that he knew exactly what she was trying to convey. He said nothing about it, however, and simply repeated her own words.

"When we win?" he echoed, the corners of his lips twitching into a small smile as Leona's fingertips brushed against his own.

"Yeah," she whispered, mirroring his smile on her own lips. "When we win."

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><p>"What the hell am I doing?"<p>

Leona's whisper echoed around the large expanse of the inside of her Garganta. She rubbed her temples gingerly with the tips of her fingers, moaning to herself as the exhaustion within her head and the pain in her stomach mixed together for a rather unpleasant and agonizing cocktail.

_Ichigo will be fine._

Jairo's voice filled her tired mind, but she didn't answer him. Her feet patted along the path in her Garganta almost mechanically. The dried blood around her open stomach wound was making her skin itch, but she just knew scratching it would only make it bleed worse. She frowned when she heard Jairo's rather loud agreement inside her head.

What would she do once she reached the other side? Leona didn't know. She didn't even know where her Garganta would end- _Where_ would she come out? She didn't know. All she knew was that she just had to live through it. She had to tell Ichigo. _If_ they won, she had to tell Ichigo that she was... In love with him.

_Don't be so melodramatic,_ Jairo said, but all Leona could do was smile. It was a forced smile- The kind of smile that one only made when they were too afraid to do anything else.

And then the bright light of the human world enveloped her.

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><p><strong>The story continues! This chapter mainly focuses on Leona's fight with Nnoitra. I kind of wanted to throw a ByakuyaLeona moment in there, but I didn't really think of a believable situation where he would have left Rukia after his fight with that weird magic Espada.**

**Later in the chapter, I added in a pretty long IchigoxLeona moment. In the manga all the Garganta are closed in Hueco Mundo and none of them can get out. In Leona's case, however, she can use her own Garganta to escape Hueco Mundo. Now I know in retrospect it would have made more sense for her to stay with them then taking them all through her own Garganta, but I just felt that I didn't want to write out all the Ulquiorra vs. Ichigo drama, and I wanted to add in some Leona and the Vizards stuff, since that's been a long time coming.**

**Everyone who reads, please review! I'd really love it if I could get more than 200 reviews before the end of the story! Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

*****Boca del Infierno: Literally translated to english, it means "Hellmouth". Basically, if Leona is hit with a Reiatsu-based attack (like Cero) while in resurreccion, she can absorb the energy to create her resurreccion equivalent to Bankai. It appears, from the outside, as an enormous lion's skull. On the inside, however, the teeth of the skull keep her opponent trapped inside. From there, the opponent's only hope is to defeat her in hand-to-hand. This is due to the fact that the Reiatsu absorbed from the opponent initially is used to cancel out the opponent's remaining Reiatsu, thus rendering him useless. After the opponent is incapacitated to a point where he can no longer move, Leona deals the final blow by collecting the flames from the skull cage in her four hands (her extra hands actually being the paws of her resurreccion) and hitting her opponent with a fire ball that is a mixture of both their own Reiatsu and her own. Once it hits, it literally burns them from the inside out before their bodies crumble into ash. There a few downsides, however. It can only be used once and can only be used on one person at a time. In addition, there is a weak point on the outside of the cage that, when hit, can dispel the technique instantly.**

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><p><strong>I also wanted to direct a question towards all of my readers. Although I have been seriously pondering making the end of this story the end of my writing, as luck would have it I'm constantly coming up with new ideas, and then I just have to write them. So, I'd like an honest opinion: Out of these two plot ideas, which one would you rather read?<strong>

**-The first starts at the beginning of the Arrancar Arc. A young girl moves to Karakura town just a few weeks before the beginning of the Winter War.**

**"She was the single miscalculation. The only thing that Aizen Sousuke had overlooked. Byakuya knew that fate had brought them together for some reason, even if that reason was simply to annoy the living hell out of him."**

**-The second focuses on the Fullbring Arc, while Ichigo is trying to regain his lost Shinigami powers and develop his Fullbring.**

**"A stoic girl with a horrible attitude problem arrives mysteriously in Karakura Town just months after Ichigo loses his Shinigami powers. Just what does this girl have to do with his lost powers?"**

**The plots and such still need some fleshing out, and I know it's really not that much to go on, but I'd like your honest opinions.**

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><p>...<p> 


	51. Part 4: To Open Your World

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><p><em>"The pendulum heads in an unfamiliar direction. The saga continues to unfold before our eyes but, for the time being, Father Time takes us back to a brief moment in time, opening the window to not all, but just enough, highlighting only key moments and passing over most others. What many have tried to keep from the public eye, and now, what many in the public eye will come to know... The unbearable truth that their masks now hide."<em>

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><p>When Leona opened her eyes, finally having adjusted to the bright light of the human world, she found her line of vision filled with an enormous warehouse. She blinked several times to make sure that it wasn't a mirage before she finally recognized it as the place where the Vizards resided. For a single, fleeting moment Leona's heart stopped. The silence buzzed annoyingly within her ears as she traced the broken glass of the windows with her eyes. The shadow of the building fell over her face, which was odd, considering that the creation of the Vizards was a dark shadow on her already dreary past.<p>

_You're not that person anymore._

"I know that..." she murmured, though her eyes still did not leave the looming rooftop of the Vizard hideout. Jairo laughed softly from within her head.

_Then why are you still holding your breath?_

Finally having realized this, Leona breathed out heavily, finally releasing the air she had been holding in for the past minute, at least. After gulping in as much air as she could to once again restore the flow of oxygen to her brain, Leona tip toed a little closer to the building. It was then that she panicked- Where were their defenses?

_Your Garganta seems to have opened up inside of them._

Leona muttered a small, almost silent 'Oh' before continuing towards the building. Careful to not allow her feet to shift the dirt beneath her, Leona at last pressed her back to the side of the building, listening intently for any sign of movement. After a moment of total silence, Leona's ear perked as the voices of the Vizards at last made their way through the thick, if not deteriorating, walls of the building.

"We really are indebted to Kisuke," A familiar voice. Leona's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. It was Shinji. "And to Aizen..." Leona's face fell, but not a moment later a mask of shock overtook it. "... And I suppose to you, too... _Leona_-san." She heard the room go deathly still, not so much as a shift of dirt to indicate that anyone had so much as moved.

At last she took the hint, breathing in deeply as she finally entered the building. The inside of the Vizards' lair was dingy, at best, and the normally bright light of the human world was turned dusky as it filtered through the dirt-dusted windows. The sand beneath her feet crunched loudly underfoot as she walked forward, all eyes on her. She couldn't remember the last time that she had felt this uncomfortable- Even as she ran through all of the memories that she could possible recall, nothing measured up to this. Not in the slightest.

The light brown eyes of Kensei were by far the most intense, following her every centimeter of movement to a degree that was borderline stalker-ish, at best. Leona shivered, turning away from his gaze, only to meet the angry and bitter stare of Lisa. Her long black hair draped over one shoulder in a single plait and, despite her textbook school-girl appearance, she looked far too severe to be anything of the sort.

"Well, well," said a voice. Leona glanced to her right, then to her left. A loud _ahem_ met her ears, drawing her attention downwards, where she met the stern gaze of a rather pissed-looking blonde-haired midget.

_Don't be a bitch, her name's Hiyori._

Leona chose to ignore Jairo's words, focussing her attentions all on the small blonde Vizard to her direct right. Her arms were folded, hiding the wrinkled front of the jacket of her red jogging suit.

"Look who finally showed up," Hiyori said, her glare never faltering. Leona gulped.

"Uh, yeah..." she muttered, her eyes darting around to look at all of the Vizards in turn before falling back to Hiyori once again. "Hey there."

"You mockin' me?" Hiyori growled, and Leona had to hold in a laugh as she noticed a single tooth that seemed to be longer than the rest. She heard Jairo's laugh echo within her skull as the image of a seriously pissed off shrew with Hiyori's pigtails appeared in her mind's eye. However Hiyori, it seemed, had barreled on with berating Leona. "-ey! HEY!" Leona jolted and Hiyori frowned, realizing that she hadn't been listening. "... Why the hell're you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lisa said, her arms still folded as she glared severely above her glasses. "She's here to help. Am I wrong?" Leona nodded, and Lisa narrowed her eyes. Sensing the rest of the group's apprehensiveness, Kensei took his chance to step in on Leona's behalf, much to her surprise.

"Can't hurt," he muttered, his deep voice radiating through his chest and filling the room. "It's going to be a hell of a fight..."

"She's injured." Lisa stated blandly. Leona's hands flashed to her stomach, covering the bloody hole that had appeared directly beside of her Hollow Hole. She sighed tiredly- By now she was so riddled with holes that she was starting to resemble swiss cheese a little too much for her liking. "What good is she in that state?"

"Arrancars seem to heal fast enough," It was Rose who had spoken this time. Stepping forward and into what little light filled the hideout, brushing his honey colored hair over his shoulder as he spoke. Leona made a face; Was he trying to look like a girl on _purpose?_ "Look- I was sure that I could see through it when she walked in. It had already begun to close up."

Everyone was silent. Hiyori continued to fume to her right, negative energy radiating off of her like a foul stench. Leona wrinkled her nose uncomfortably- This was not at all what she had been planning on. At last Shinji broke the silence, letting out a grunt as he pushed himself into standing position, using his hands on his knees as leverage. His pencil straight blonde hair shifted like curtains around his face as he moved, and Leona couldn't help but be mesmerized by his astonishingly long legs as he walked towards her.

"I must say, this is a big surprise," he muttered. His usual sneer, which was now beginning to remind Leona eerily of a certain deceased Quinto Espada, was now in place as his eyes wandered over her, as if doing so would somehow help him reach a decision of some sort. "I never expected to see you here- Not since Kensei brought you here in 'secret'." he continued, using air quotes on the last word. Leona flushed, meeting eyes with Kensei for a fleeting second before bringing her gaze back to Shinji once more.

"Y-you knew?" she muttered, looking around at all the other Vizards, who were nodding their heads lazily. Aikawa was giving her a look as if to say 'well duh', and Lisa had gone back to reading whatever was in her hands. Leona flushed, realizing quickly that it was some form of erotica. Aikawa snickered in his gravely voice, and Leona soon realized that she had been staring.

"Of course we knew!" Hiyori griped, her lips pressed into a firm line, her expression a mixture of anger and disapproval. "Why're ya just standin' there, baldy, kick her out!" Shinji frowned, folding his arms as he glared down at the smaller girl. Ignoring her for the most part, Shinji continued on.

"It's not difficult to pick up your Reiatsu- I can never forget it." he said, his eyes moving from Hiyori to Leona. "It made me what I am today, after all."

Leona bit her lip nervously. "I know... I know all that," she whispered sadly, casting her eyes down, as if something about dirt had just now become very interesting to her. "All those memories I had before, of being attacked along with you... I know those aren't real." she mumbled. Kensei made a noise in the back of his throat, and Leona could tell that he was feeling uncomfortable. She barreled on all the same. "I did this to you. I know that now."

"Look me in the eyes and say it."

"What?"

"You heard me," he replied. "I can't hear ya' when you're too busy lookin' at the dirt."

"I said it, okay?" Leona blurted, ripping her eyes up from the sand to look Shinji square in the eyes. "You don't know how long it's taken me to accept it! To accept that I ruined so many people's lives-"

"Hey, now," Aikawa said slowly. "What're you tryin' to say?" For a minute Leona was silent, peering around at the other Vizards for support. When they said nothing, she answered.

"Dude, you guys live in a shack."

The large pink haired man in the corner, who had been silent for the better portion of the conversation, let out a low chuckle at this. The white-and-orange-clad girl perched precariously on his shoulder, however, seemed to feel differently about this remark. Puffing out her cheeks in a pouty, childish sort of way she said-

"Kensei, don't let her make fun of our home!" she whined. Kensei simply rolled his eyes and sat down, seeming to realize that this was going to take a little longer than a few short minutes.

"Hey!" Leona barked finally, getting everyone's attention away from the green haired Vizard and back to her. "I was saying something! Damn, is it too much to ask to get, like, a minute of your attention."

"Yes." Shinji answered matter-of-factly, and Leona sighed. They were like a bunch of rowdy teenagers.

"I'm surrounded by the fucking lost boys," she said finally, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Some of us are girls!" Mashiro chirped from her corner, which succeeded in coaxing yet another low chuckle out of the silent giant on which she was currently seated. Hiyori, too, puffed up at this remark, backing Mashiro up with a defiant, 'Yeah!', to which Leona frowned.

"You don't count, snaggleooth." Leona replied. She hadn't planned on being sassy to any of them when she had first arrived- But she tended to deal with things in her own way, and fighting fire with fire was most certainly her way. And, in this case, 'fire' seemed to be synonymous with witty banter.

"Hey, kick her out, baldy!" she growled, kicking Shinji square in the shins. Shinji seemed completely unfazed by this, ignoring the small girl as she continued to kick him in the leg repeatedly.

"... Aren't we leaving anyways?"

It was the giant who had spoken this time, turning his pink-tufted head to face Leona at last. His face was round, kind, and strangely enough not menacing at all. Unusual for a giant, Leona thought, though it wasn't often that she came by Shinigami that large- Unless of course they looked like wolves, such was the case with Komamura.

"Yeah." Kensei added, looking thoroughly bored out of his mind in the corner. "I was under the impression that there was a war going on out there."

"Yeah, yeah," Shinji muttered darkly, kicking Hiyori gently away from his leg as he spoke. "I got distracted- So sue me."

"One of these days," Kensei muttered, but Leona got the feeling that no one else was really paying attention to him.

So the eight Hollow-Shinigami hybrids moved about the hideout, stowing things in there proper places and talking amongst themselves. Leona stood alone in the doorway, feeling thoroughly idiotic for being so nervous- So _afraid-_ of this moment. A moment that had, quite literally, been glazed over in the blink of an eye. After building up the very moment where she would finally apologize for all of her sins against these people... They had simply acted as though it were nothing. As if, just by her coming there, all was well.

"Let's move, stupid!"

Hiyori's gravely voice broke through Leona's thoughts as she walked by her and straight out of the door. The others soon followed, moving around Leona to get through the single door to the hideout. Shinji nodded as he passed her, bowing his blonde head low as if to tell her that he knew exactly why she had come- And that her apology was accepted. At last came Kensei, whose serious expression would have led anybody else to believe that he was in one hell of a bad mood. Leona snickered- Kensei was always in a bad mood.

"What's that face for, huh?" he grumbled. Leona sighed, falling into step beside him as they followed the rest of the Vizards out of the hideout.

"Everything just feels... Lighter,"

"I don't know, that place can get pretty dingy." Kensei mummbled, squinting his eyes as the light hit him full force. Leona scoffed.

"That's really not what I meant." she said. Kensei made a noise in the back of his throat.

"I know." he replied curtly. "Let's just leave it. Alright?" Leona smiled softly, knowing all too well just what was going through his mind. It was a new start. _She_ had started over. And so would they. In time.

"Yeah." she whispered, peering out from under her lashes to stare at the golden sun. "Alright."

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><p><strong>As an alternate ending to this chapter, all the Vizards and Leona become best friends, braid each other's hair and jam out to Adele while they wait for Aizen to win the Winter War. It was a tough choice, but in the end I went with this ;)<strong>

**Anyways, I know this chapter is a lot shorter than the last few- Like, a lot shorter. But I really wanted to start the actual war part in a chapter all to itself, if that makes sense. Also this is just a sort of transition chapter... A sort of brief redemption chapter for Leona, if you will. Thanks to everyone who answered my questions and reviewed for the last chapter- It's always great to get feedback! As it turns out, I may end up doing both ideas, and just make the ByakuyaxOC one a limited-chapter story- Say in the realm of 20 chapters or so.**

**Thanks again to all who reviewed/favorited/alerted!**

**Hope you all enjoyed it, and don't forget to review if you read!**


	52. Part 4: It's Winter, It's War

_..._

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><p><em>"Sire, we look upon you as one would a peacock. A look that borders on anticipation, adoration, and something akin to neverending terror."<em>

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><p>"Well... Damn."<p>

"I second that statement." Leona replied, glaring up at the pulsating Kido barrier that barred them from the fight.

"What's this thing's deal, huh?" Hiyori griped, folding her arms and growling up at the sunset-colored shield.

"Kenpachi said something about displacing Karakura Town to keep the populous safe," Leona said, recalling what the hardened Captain of Division Eleven had said to her before she had made her exit in Hueco Mundo. "_Tenkai Kezu_, I think they called it."

"Captain Commander's idea, I assume?" Kensei murmured, staring through the dusky shield that now surrounded the fake Karakura Town. "Clever."

"Kenpachi said they can basically transport all of Karakura Town into Rukon-Gai," she muttered thoughtfully, her mind wandering momentarily to memories of her old home. All that seemed so long ago, now- Hundreds of years ago, in fact. She vaguely wondered how much longer she could possibly last, but her thoughts were interrupted by more thoughtful bickering.

"What the hell!" Hiyori blurted. She threw her hands in the air angrily. "How the hell are we supposed to get in?"

"Beats me," Aikawa drawled, tapping the tip of his Zanpakuto against his shoe.

"Great, thanks for your input, Love." Leona replied sarcastically, earning what she assumed was an dramatic eye roll from the Aikawa. "Well, I gotta say, this is pretty unexpected."

"Mmhm," was all Lisa had to offer, as her nose was now buried deep inside another volume of erotica. Leona rolled her eyes- _These_ were the people that Karakura Town's future was banking on? That had to be some sort of sick, cosmic joke.

"You guys have got to be the laziest superheroes I have ever met." she snapped, narrowing her stormy grey eyes at Shinji. The blonde let out a barking laugh.

"You impressed with our exceptional laziness?"

"Not really."

"And who said anything about us bein' superheroes?" Hiyori piped from beside Shinji. She was still looking as angry as ever. Leona shrugged.

"I just assumed."

"Well, don't."

"Noted."

The group lapsed into contemplative silence. Each member of the Vizards, Lisa excluded, was staring up at the shield. Leona only half-listened as Shinji conversed with Ushouda about possibly undoing the Kido- If it was even Kido in the first place. If Leona knew anything about luck and the Soul Society, it was entirely possible that this barrier was some sort of contraption designed by that fucked up nerd Mayuri- The one who seemed to have a strange obsession with killing and studying people. She had only ever met the Twelfth Division Captain once, back in the Seiretei, but she sincerely hoped that Mayuri's twisted interests weren't something that simply came with the job; If that was the case, she'd have to start keeping an eye on Urahara for everybody's sake.

"There's someone out here," Leona said, her eyes surveying the surrounding area just outside of Karakura Town with interest.

The rest of the Vizards fell silent, all seeming to have at last picked up on the steadily growing Reiatsu that was now approaching them. Lisa tore her eyes away from her pornography, shutting the book with a soft _snap_ before setting it carefully on the ground. Mashiro opened her mouth to say something, but Kensei promptly covered her lips with his palm, shaking his head sternly. This elicited a rather nasty glare from the child like Vizard, though this didn't really seem to faze the former Captain. Leona and Kensei exchanged glances and Leona nodded, removing her dagger sized Zanpakuto from the waistband of her white leggings.

"Do you see anything?" Lisa murmured, and Shinji shook his head. After several more minutes of solid silence, it seemed that Hiyori had finally had enough.

"Jesus Christ, are we in a friggin' horror flick or somethin'?" the little blonde groused, throwing her hands in the air. Leona frowned- That gesture seemed to be quickly becoming her trademark. "I'm gonna go find this thing, kick its ass, then we can all go back to staring at this stupid barrier. Okay? Okay."

All the Vizards exchanged glances as Hiyori stalked into the distance, disappearing around the corner quickly than they could say 'Hey, that was rude'. Leona had to admit, the midget knew how to get the job done. A minute later she was back, a tall man with grey hair in tow.

"Nobody panic," she said, holding up her arms lazily. "It's just this old guy." The man glared down at her, but said nothing. Leona frowned, realizing that she recognized the man as the Lieutenant of the First Division.

"... I see," the man muttered, surveying the people before him carefully before speaking. "The Captain Commander was right- You have indeed been hiding out on Earth. We never were too sure about that," he mused. Hiyori rolled her eyes, taking her place beside of Shinji, who was watching the man's movement's very carefully.

"What's going on in there?" he asked, jerking his head to his right in the direction of the barrier. The man said nothing, which seemed to amuse Hiyori a great deal, as the next second she busted out laughing.

"They're getting their asses handed to 'em, aren't they?" she chortled. Aikawa snorted with amusement- Sasakibe looked thoroughly offended.

"There's a time and a place, Hiyori," Leona scolded. Shinji smirked.

"But they are though, aren't they?"

"This is no laughing matter," Sasakibe said seriously, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Vizards giggle amongst themselves. Leona rolled her eyes- There really was a time and a place. "The Captain Commander has instructed me to let no one inside of the barrier."

"You can't be serious," Leona replied, raising her eyebrows and exchanging glances with Shinji, who was also frowning rather deeply. "Look, we need-"

"However," Sasakibe interrupted her. His eyes were now, if possible, even more serious than before. "... That was before this took such an unpleasant turn." he murmured. Leona's heart fluttered nervously- Just what was going on inside inside of that barrier? "So I will let you in, so long as you give me your word that you are on our side."

Shinji scoffed. Hiyori let out a disbelieving sort of snarl. Aikawa and Rose exchanged glances. Mashiro puffed out her cheeks, while Kensei looked completely indifferent. Lisa and Hachi locked eyes, but stayed silent.

"No way," Shinji replied, his lips stretching into his usual sneer. "We're here for Ichigo." Sasakibe shut his eyes.

"Very well."

Placing the hilt of his Zanpakuto directly onto the barrier, which proceeded to emit a blinding glow. An enormous doorway was slowly ripped into the barrier, and through it Leona could clearly see the familiar horizon line of her home- Of Karakura Town. Smoke rose from several places, and rubble crumbled from the tops of buildings where attacks had gone astray. She breathed in slowly, holding it as she followed Love through the doorway, stepping into the battlefield for the very first time.

The air smelled acrid- Like someone's flesh had been rotted, or burned. The metallic scent of blood also hung on the air, filling her nostrils almost to the point where she could no longer stand it. Following Shinji and the others, she clambered down the pile of rubble on which they stood precariously, slipping slightly as the crumbled concrete gave way under her weight. Shinji sighed, putting his free hand in his pocket as he stared up at the sky, his eyes following the several Shinigami that were moving across it.

The next minute they were suspended in the air, and as her short choppy locks shifted in the breeze, Leona couldn't help but feel like they were some sort of ragtag band of superheroes. She snickered to herself as Jairo spoke inside of her head.

_In what kind of fucked up world would that be allowed to happen?_

"It's been a long time," Shinji murmured, and Leona couldn't stop her cheeks from heating up when she realized that everyone's attention were now on them. "Anyone in the Gotei Thirteen you want to talk to here?"

"NOPE!" Hiyori yelled way too loudly.

"Shut up Hiyori!" he snapped. "I wasn't askin' ya!"

"Why wouldn't ya ask me? You were askin' everyone, weren't ya?"

"... I don't care," Love said slowly, surveying the momentarily paused fights through his tinted sunglasses.

"Me, either." Rose agreed, tucking his honey colored hair behind his ear.

"... Not in the Gotei Thirteen," Hachi said slowly.

"Me, either." Kensei said coldly, repeating Rose's words.

"Not me!" Mashiro said brightly. "How come?"

Lisa was the only one who did not turn down the offer, and the next moment she had Shunpo-d away, leaving the Vizards to fend for themselves. Hiyori looked shocked, calling after her, but Leona was sure she was already halfway to Kyouraku by then. Shinji sighed.

"Not even you, Leona-san?" Shinji asked, casting his eyes in her direction as she levitated in the air. She pursed her lips- There was only one that came to mind. The only person who meant more to her than a certain orange haired boy. The only other boy that she would actually be happy to give her life for. Finally, Leona nodded, a soft smile spreading over her lips.

"Yeah," she murmured, feeling her power swell inside of her as her body instinctually prepared for Sonido. "I'm going to go see my brother." she answered, and the next second she was gone. Shinji 'tsked' under his breath, turning his head away from his companions.

"Well... I guess I'd better go say hi to Captain Yamamoto."

* * *

><p>Her brother stood alone in the air, save for a single girl opposite him. Leona recognized her immediately as Halibel- Her former ally. The blonde Arrancar narrowed her brilliant green eyes as she sensed Leona approach, gripping her enormous Zanpakuto still tighter. Leona pursed her lips, gripping the hilt of her own Zanpakuto, which was almost microscopic in comparison to Halibel's when released, though that did not discourage her in the slightest. Her brother, however, seemed to have been focussed entirely on Halibel, as he had not turned his head.<p>

In a flash, Halibel had leapt from her place across from Toshiro, who raised his sword in response. Forcing herself to go still faster, Leona appeared over her brother's shoulder. The pads of her still bare feet touched the cloth of his Captain's shihakushou, and the rest seemed to happen almost in slow motion. Toshiro's head turned to look up at her, his wide aqua eyes so large that Leona wondered how they didn't pop out of his skull. He lowered his sword unconsciously, his lips moving as he said 'Nee-sama', though Leona did not hear him. Instead she turned away, pushing off of her brother to meet Halibel head on.

Her dagger ground against Tiburon, the sickening screech of it sending chills down her spine. Tia's eyes narrowed farther still, and Leona found it oddly unsettling to be able to see her whole face. She had never seen Halibel's resurreccion before, and it was rather impressive, though she loathed to admit it.

"So this is the thanks that you give to Aizen-sama?" Halibel murmured, pressing still harder against Leona's tiny dagger.

"Nah, I'll thank him personally at his funeral," she taunted. Halibel let out a ferocious growl, pushing Leona away with a single shove so that she ended up right back beside her brother, who was still staring at her as though he were shell shocked. Leona made a face, turning away from Halibel to wave her hand in front of Toshiro's eyes. "Hellooo," she said, waggling her fingers. Toshiro batted them away almost immediately, his dumbstruck expression quickly changing to one of disapproval.

"Nee-sama, what are you doing here?" he said swiftly, meeting the eyes of his sister for the first time in months. Leona smiled.

"Nice to see you to, little buddy," she replied. Toshiro frowned.

"It's _Captain Hitsugaya_, even to you, Nee-sama."

"Mmhm, mmhm." she cooed, patting him on the head. "Whatever you say, _Captain Hitsugaya._" she said, winking at him as if it were a joke. Toshiro stiffened, and Leona sensed that Halibel was quickly becoming impatient.

"... I was told that you were in Hueco Mundo..." he whispered finally. It was now Leona's turn to stiffen. She had wondered what the other Captains had said about her during her brief turn to the Dark Side. She had hoped, even if it was irrational to do so, that they would respect her enough not to gossip. Then she reminded herself that once someone betrayed all their friends and allies, any respect gained previously was promptly thrown out the window.

"You heard, huh?"

"Of course I heard," he said calmly, but Leona knew that he was upset. His bright blue eyes were cold, staring up at her as though hoping that there was some other explanation. "But why?" Leona bit her lower lip nervously, but the moment was interrupted when Halibel finally lost patience, charging straight at them with a growl. Leona smiled down at her younger brother, who was still looking at her, a hint of an emotion that almost resembled pleading buried deep within the icy depths of his eyes.

"I'll tell you," she whispered, leaning down and pressing her forehead against his. "After... **_Purify, Jairo!_**"

In an enormous burst of flame Leona's Zanpakuto elongated, emerging from the flames in the form of a spear. Leona smiled, enjoying the reminder that, underneath all of the Hollow armor that was now a part of her body, she would always be a Shinigami in some sense. The hollow wooden beads on either end of her spear clicked together, soothing her nerves, which seemed to be completely shot from her sudden rushes of adrenaline. Twirling the stone pole through her fingers, as if testing herself, Leona finally turned to watch Halibel take a running leap, raising Tiburon over her shoulder. The white blade cut through the air, and their swords clashed once more, the resulting explosion of energy radiating around them in rings.

"It seems that Tousen was right in warning Aizen-sama against you," she muttered, and Leona narrowed her eyes.

"What are you saying?"

"He prepared for this," Leona's heart stopped. Quickly shoving Halibel as far away as possible, Leona caught her breath, struggling to fit what Halibel had said with the information that she already knew. "By the time you realize, it will be to late for you. And for this town." Anger swelled inside of her, and Leona focussed her grey eyes on the Tres Espada.

"_**Kusari no heru,**_"

A long tendril of flame extended from each end of her spear, whipping around Leona as she stood, stock still, in front of Halibel. Her green eyes narrowed, watching the flaming whips as they swished back and forth, almost grazing against Leona's white leggings as they moved. Their crackling soon filled the almost tangible silence. At last Halibel spoke, raising her sword in defense as Leona stepped forward.

"I see you have finally managed to control your various powers," she muttered. "Though I was expecting something more... Impressive." Leona simply laughed in reply, watching in amusement as Halibel was forced back when one of the fiery whips lashed out in her direction.

The next second Haliebel lunged, brandishing her sword to fend off one of Leona's whips. Her bone-white sword let off smoke as the flames seared into its surface, but Leona was forced to change positions as Halibel aimed a kick to her face. Leona pivoted on the tips of her toes, sweeping Jairo under Halibel to knock her off of her feet. With a grunt of effort, Halibel pushed herself back up with one hand, but not without paying a price- A deep, searing burn now decorated the exposed flesh of her stomach, giving Leona the strange impression that she was looking at a waking, talking and strangely aggressive piece of seared tuna.

The injury was received with a simple sigh- It seemed that the Tres Espada was not a woman of many words. The burn was angry and smoking, turning Halibel's beautifully tanned skin a horrible crimson color. The Arrancar pursed her lips from pain, but seemed to push through it. Pulling back her spear to make the final blow, Leona was taken by surprise when Halibel raised her Zanpakuto, pointing it straight at Leona's chest before muttering-

"_**La Gota,**_"

The next thing she knew, all of her breath was knocked from her body as she was sent rocketing backwards, the force of the attack shattering several of her ribs despite her countering it with a Cero. The red energy of her standard Cero dispersed the bullet of water before it could do any real damage, shattered ribs excluded, and Leona straightened up to look back at her attacker.

"Nice shot," she said, wincing as she struggled to straighten up. To her right, Toshiro made to attack Halibel with his Bankai, but Leona stopped him with a shake of the head. "I'm fine... I'm fine," she repeated. Gripping her Zanpakuto tighter, Leona steeled herself against her pain- All she had to do was block it out until the fight was over.

The air swirled around her face, shifting her deep carmine locks into her eyes as she gazed intensely at the Third Espada, who returned her gaze unwaveringly, but with a hint of underlying curiosity. Leona parted her lips slowly, speaking as clearly as possible in order to not stumble over the words that flowed into her mind almost effortlessly.

"**_Ban... Kai..._**"

The pole of her spear shattered in a sudden burst of energy, crumbling before sweeping around her knuckles in a flurry of rock shards, metal and flames. When the energy subsided, all that remained of her Shikai now covered her hands and fingers. The weapon itself resembled a stoney Bagh Nakh*****, the stone and metal claws covering her fingers completely, extending past her fingertips for several inches before finally tapering off into sharp, deadly points. Leona stared, awe struck, at her knew Bankai- She expected such a thing to weigh her down, but the solid rock claws did not seem heavy at all.

"This impressive enough for ya, Tia?"

The two girls leapt towards each other, snarling like untamed wildcats. Leona's claw-like Bankai slashed through Halibel's upper body before she could react, crimson blood spraying through the air as Halibel's already bruised flesh was sliced almost off of her bones. This time, Halibel could not contain her screams of agony, and Leona averted her eyes almost shyly as the noise sliced through the air almost as violently as she had just slashed through her skin.

Halibel raised Tiburon to attack, but Leona was one step ahead of her, flipping over in the air and grasping the dull-edged Zanpakuto in between her legs before slicing upwards, straight through Halibel's shoulder. The Espada cried out again, pushing herself away and gripping her shoulder in a desperate attempt to quell the blood flow, but to no avail. Growling in an almost animalistic manner, Leona pulled back her claw-adorned right hand, which was now covered in crackling bright red flames, ready to deal the final blow.

And then her vision blurred- She was no longer in the fake Karakura Town. Instead, she was under water, and it felt as though her throat was being obstructed by a tube of some sort. Air bubbles surrounded her as she pounded frantically on the glass that caged her. She felt as though her heart was going to explode- It was beating far too fast. Her breathing was far too shallow. Her head was pounding, and she just _couldn't_ get out of that cage!

A horrible pain in her abdomen brought her back to reality, her brain still spinning from what she had just seen- Whatever it had been. Her own blood flew through the air, the rest of it staining the tip of Halibel's pure white Zanpakuto. Leona coughed, spitting up at least a quart of blood, which fell to the ground below in a stream of dark red. Halibel's cold green eyes met her own as she raised her Zanpakuto yet again.

"We no longer need you." she whispered. "Goodbye, Prototype,"

Her blow, however, was blocked by a heavy blow to her Zanpakuto from none other than Lisa, who had appeared out of nowhere. Her Hollow mask now covered her face, though her long and dark braid made her unmistakeable. In a flash Hiyori was at her side, slashing at the already mortally injured Halibel, who backed away just in time to avoid getting sliced in two.

"Looks like there's no time to worry about whether we are friends or foes." Lisa said as she and Hiyori straightened up, flanking the Hitsugaya siblings on their left and right.

"Hmph!" Hiyori growled, peering over her shoulder at the brother and sister behind her. "I guess the enemy of our enemy is our friend, or something,"

"Thanks..." Leona muttered, clutching her lower stomach to stop the blood flow. Hiyori simply huffed again.

"Hey," Toshiro muttered, raising his Zanpakuto in front of his face, finally able to join the fight without his sister berating him. "I want to ask you something,"

"What?" Hiyori barked. "Keep it short!"

"I think both of you already are," Leona interjected, laughing weakly at her own equally weak pun. Lisa rolled her eyes underneath her mask, and her brother scowled before continuing.

"Can you take care of this... And my sister?" he asked, and Leona made a face. That wasn't like her brother at all. "I'd... I'd like to fight Aizen myself."

"HUH? Are you crazy?" Hiyori screeched, and Leona couldn't help but nod weakly in agreement.

"Yeah, we'd all like to fight Aizen," she muttered. Truth be told, it seemed that she, Lisa and Hiyori all head bigger bones to pick with the ex-Captain than Toshiro did, though Leona was a little more than ninety percent sure that it had something to do with the girl she had met back in Soul Society. She could remember her name, but she could remember clearly the way her brother had looked at her- His eyes held the same feelings that she felt when she saw Ichigo. There was no mistaking it.

"We came to kill him, too!" Hiyori continued, and Lisa sighed heavily. She and Leona exchanged weary glances- These two were both short, uppity, and their personalities were clashing more than anyone could have predicted. "Besides, you were having trouble before your sister stepped in! Now you wanna take on Aizen? Not friggin' likely!"

"Y... You're right," Toshiro sighed, averting his gaze in embarrassment. Leona's eyes softened- He had seemed so determined. "I guess I just panicked..."

"Toshiro, it's oka-"

"Forget it? That's all you've got to say?" Hiyori screamed, and this time Leona was forced to plug her ears to avoid going deaf. "You aren't even gonna apologize or anything?"

"S... Sorry...?"

"Huh? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"That's because you won't stop screaming," Leona and Lisa muttered in unison, though this sentiment seemed to go unnoticed by the rowdy Vizard.

"What are you doing dressed like a Captain at your age, anyways?" she yelled. Toshiro's face was becoming more and more haggard-looking by the second, and Leona couldn't help but feel sorry for her poor brother. Being a prodigy no longer seemed like all it was cracked up to be. "Are you really a Captain? I thought you were just playing dress-up! I get it- Let me guess! You cheated somehow to be made Captain, right? That's why you're panicking?" Leona's expression hardened- That was going too far. Stepping forwards and straightening up despite the horrible pains in her stomach, Leona looked down her nose at Hiyori, who stopped speaking immediately.

"Don't speak to Hitsugaya-taichou that way," she said coldly, her cloudy eyes narrowing dangerously. Hiyori frowned, folding her arms and glaring defiantly up at the Arrancar, who was a good foot and a half taller than she was, at least. "He's my brother, and he's worked to-"

"He's short!" she griped, peering around Leona's lithe form to glower at her white haired younger brother. "And what's with that hair? BALDY! BALDY!... SHORTY!" This seemed to be the last straw for Leona's classically stoic brother. Finally snapping, the young Captain lunged forwards, grabbing a fist full of Hiyori's shirt and pulling her close to his face before yelling, full force, in her ears.

"YOU'RE SHORTER THAN I AM!" he screamed, causing both Leona and Lisa to flinch. This sort of situation was neither of their fortes.

"Wha... what... WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU BRAT?" she screeched. Sighing heavily, Leona ambled over to stand beside Lisa, who had once again returned to reading her pornography. Leona peered over her shoulder, made a face, and then decided to watch the fight instead. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me? If that's what you want just come out and say so!"

"You're the one who's picking a fight!" Toshiro retorted angrily, shaking the little blonde back and forth by the collar. "I apologized, but that wasn't enough for you!" Leona turned to say something to Lisa, but the dark haired girl had vanished, skipping over the heads of the two quarreling youngsters to head straight for Halibel. Leona sighed- How were people like this managing to even fight?

Then it happened again- That same watery prison once again filled her eyes and mind, overtaking her senses as though it was her who was actually experiencing it. Her body seized, unable to supply enough oxygen to her brain, but she recovered quickly. The air bubbles from her mouth filled her vision as she peered around the room just outside of her water-filled prison. She felt like she had seen it somewhere before... But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place it. Pure white... Everything outside of the water was white, like snow... Like bone.

And then power- Crushing, agonizing power. It drew her out of her hallucination quicker than she could comprehend, and she soon found herself back in Karakura Town. Her eyes surveyed the scene in front of her- Her brother, Lisa and Hiyori were all fighting in her place, and Halibel stood in between all of them, her back now turned, and Leona's eyes widened as she found just who she was now facing... It was _Aizen._

His cold, dark eyes raked over Halibel's tired body carefully, as though calculating just how much energy she had used in this fight. Leona saw Halibel's lips move, her eyes full of belief, loyalty and trust- How could anybody trust this man, Leona wondered. What happened next supplied an answer- Aizen cut down his own Espada with a single cut... And that explained everything so perfectly. He was trustworthy until he no longer could be trusted... They trusted him until he killed them.

The next second, Halibel had run Aizen straight through with Tiburon, the gleaming white tip protruding from the ex-Captain's back. Leona's eyelids drooped slightly as she pondered this- How wonderful... How great it would have been if it was just that simple. If one of his own soldiers was finally the end of him. Finally killed him in just a single, well-placed cut of the sword. But that was just too good to be true- And so it was. The Aizen that Halibel had stabbed turned to glass, shattering as the real one appeared behind her, running her through with the same ease that she had just ran him through.

As Halibel fell to the ground, Leona felt a pang go through her heart. She was an Arrancar. Halibel was an Arrancar. Beings so powerful that they rivaled the Gotei Thirteen itself. But such powerful beings could be brought down with a single swipe of the sword- A single cut from the very man who had brought them all into existence.

"Hello, Leona." he said finally, turning to face her and her companions at last.

Leona froze, feeling him focus his spiritual pressure on her already weakened body. "I see you've found your brother."

* * *

><p><strong>*Bagh Nakh: a claw-like South Asian weapon designed to fit over the knuckles or concealed under and against the palm. It consists of four or five curved blades affixed to a crossbar or glove, and is designed to slash through skin and muscle. It is believed to have been inspired by the armature of big cats, and the term<em>bagh nakh<em> itself means tiger's claw in Hindi.**

****Jairo's first Shikai ability is revealed here. Roughly translated, Kusari no heru means Chain of Hell. Basically the two spearheads on each end of her Zanpakuto transform into dual whips, which are made of fire, and bend to Leona's will.**

****Leona's Bankai can only be used when she is not in her resurreccion form, and is basically just a hefty and overlarge Bagh Nakh that is also covered in fire. It also increases her brute strength tenfold, while decreasing her speed a great deal due to its size, though she can't really tell how heavy it is. Possibly more will be revealed about it later, but I may just end up not focussing on it too much. I just really like the idea that they look like wildcat paws.**

**In this chapter, as per request, we get to see Leona kick some serious Arrancar ass, though this comes to an end rather abruptly when Leona begins to experience some rather disturbing hallucinations mid-fight. Can anyone guess out of who's eyes she's seeing?**

**Possibly a short Leona vs. Aizen to come, but he still has to fight the Captain Commander, and it would be ridiculous to think that Leona could actually end up seriously injuring him, anyways. That's just going a little too far in my opinion, don't you agree?**

**Thanks so much to all who reviewed, and don't forget to do so for this chapter! Feedback, pointers, ideas etc. are welcome!**


	53. Part 4: Los Cardenales

_..._

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><p><em>"Ah, even though our eyes are opened we are dreaming of flying through the sky."<em>

* * *

><p>Aizen surveyed those before him with relative disinterest. Even as an outsider, Leona could already guess what was going through the twisted man's equally twisted mind. He felt tired- Tired of all of the people around him being weaker than he was. He felt superior, of this much Leona was absolutely certain. Whether he liked it that way or not was a mystery to her. Sometimes, Leona thought that maybe all he really wanted was to have someone who could actually stand against him. But, then again, maybe he really just wanted to rule the world.<p>

Either one seemed equally plausible in Leona's mind.

"Careful," a voice beside her said, and Leona shifted to meet the eyes of Hirako Shinji, who had now appeared by her side. "With Aizen's power, you can't go at him without a plan."

Leona froze, releasing her fist, within which she had been concealing a half-formed Cero. She hadn't expected anyone to realize just what she was doing. But no sooner had Aizen said a word to her, she had felt rage pool in her stomach. It was a feeling that she had never felt before, but that did not mean that it was unexplainable. She had, at last, found someone to blame for the way people had treated her for so many years. She at last had someone else to blame but herself for all of that pain she had caused during her days as a Lieutenant of the Gotei Thirteen. But Shinji, it seemed, was more apprehensive to her movements than she had guessed- His eyes stayed locked on her fist, despite the fact that the Cero had dissipated many seconds ago.

"I know that!" It was Hiyori who had replied, even though this statement had clearly been directed at Leona. Shinji frowned.

"I wasn't talkin' to ya!" Shinji said, but a minute later he changed tactics. "Hiyori... Loosen that grip on your blade..."

The little blonde stayed silent, and Leona could tell that she had no intentions of listening to Shinji at all. Her knuckles stayed white, her grip tightening instead of loosening at Shinji's warning.

"Charming," Aizen's voice echoed through the air, capturing Leona's attention once again. "You always did care deeply for others, Captain Hirako." Leona saw Hiyori's arm twitch out of the corner of her eye. "However... 'Careful, with Aizen's power, you can't go near him without a plan', is an amusing thing for you to say. No matter how you approach me, the outcome will be the same. I speak not of the future, you understand. All of your fates have already been established. They cannot be escaped."

"He's tryin' to provoke us!" Shinji warned as the other Vizards twitched, as if preparing to attack.

"What have any one of you to fear?" Aizen asked, his expression darkening as he spoke. "Every one of you died that night one hundred years ago."

It was too much. Leona's self control broke with those last eleven words, and she soon found herself growling viciously as she lunged forward, her fists still covered with her claw-like Bankai. Beside her was Hiyori, who also seemed to have abandoned any self control she may have had, and was now leaping straight for Aizen with her sword raised.

"STOP IT!" Shinji called, but it was too late.

Leona felt warm blood splatter against her cheek, but she didn't have time to pause. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Gin's Zanpakuto outstretched, and Hiyori had stopped moving. She didn't want to look back- With the amount of blood that now covered her whole left side, she could only imagine just how badly Hiyori had been injured. But Leona kept moving, ducking low as Aizen took a swipe at her with his Zanpakuto. She heard Gin say something from far away, but she ignored it, concentrating solely on Aizen, who didn't seem at all fazed by any one of her attacks.

She ducked, she swerved, she sliced- No matter how quickly she moved, she couldn't land a hit. Her enormous Bagh Nakh cut through the air, missing Aizen just barely every single time.

"Do you really think that I would have created you without fail-safes, Hitsugaya Leona?" he murmured. Leona's eyes widened, but she didn't stop, ignoring the pains in her stomach from her fight with Halibel as she kicked upwards with so much force that the air around her seemed to be forced upwards. Aizen dodged it only just, but Leona swore she felt his chin on the sole of her foot- She was getting closer.

"You think you are getting closer, don't you?" Leona simply listened, refusing to give herself over to his words. The more she allowed him to distract her, the bigger the chance that he would kill her. She knew this all too well. "You will never be able to hurt me."

"You sound pretty confident," she replied, gritting her teeth as she jabbed her cat-claw Bankai straight at his face.

Aizen flash stepped to her right, aiming another cut in her direction, and she felt the flesh on her shoulder sting as his Zanpakuto cut through her. Ignoring the pain, Leona flipped over backwards and aimed another kick at Aizen. Her foot grazed past his cheek, and the man smirked, grabbing her toes and bending them backwards. This time, Leona couldn't help but cry out from pain. A sickening crack came from her foot as some of her bones snapped, and she quickly jerked her foot from his grasp, keeping the foot elevated slightly as she paused to catch her breath.

"You really should wear shoes when you go out," Aizen murmured, flexing the hand that he had used as if he had hurt it. "You could get hurt."

"Shut the fuck up," she muttered, grimacing as pain shot up her leg from her toes.

Aizen 'tsked', and the next second he was gone. It was then that something inside of her stirred- She could sense where he was. Shooting out her right arm, Leona caught Aizen's blade mid swipe, wrapping her fingers around the edge, not caring when the sharpened edge of the Zanpakuto cut through the delicate flesh of her palm. A triumphant smirk slowly spread across her features as she turned to face Aizen, who's eyes were now watching her with mild surprise.

"I think you forgot about something when you were adding those fail-safes," she taunted, gripping the blade still tighter as he twisted and turned it in her grasp. "When I came to Hueco Mundo, you told me that you poisoned my soul- You made me into that contagion that would later create the Vizards." Aizen said nothing, merely continued to stare into her eyes, listening intently.

"You used the Hogyoku, didn't you?" Again, Aizen said nothing. "... Looks like I can sense that thing inside of you." In a flash she had pulled him towards her, their faces now only mere centimeters apart. Leona pulled back her free hand, smiling victoriously as the realization of her words finally hit her full force. "No more sneaking up on me, _Aizen-sama_!"

With a crack her Bankai disappeared and her bare knuckles made heavy contact with the bridge of Aizen's nose, sending him sailing through the air backwards. Leona breathed in slowly, gripping the Zanpakuto in her hands still tighter. Her crimson blood dripped through her fingers, but she refused to let go. This was too good to be true. She had his Zanpakuto, and now she could sense him. This was it. The end...

"Very observant, Leona,"

Leona froze. Her grey eyes widened as the Zanpakuto in her fist vanished, leaving her with only a fist full of blood. Then she felt it- The presence of the Hogyoku right behind her. She didn't have even a second to react- A horrible pain ripped the her back as Aizen's blade tore through her body, and she watched with horror as it came ripping out of the flesh in between her ribs, right in the center of Amaterasu's tattoo. A cold sweat quickly broke out across her forehead, and she felt as if she were about to vomit. This just couldn't be real- She'd had his Zanpakuto in her fist. She had been _holding_ it. Her fist had been bleeding, for fuck's sake!

"I assure you, this is reality," Aizen murmured, bringing his lips close to her ear as he spoke. "I can promise you that my blade through your body is very real. And just because you can sense the Hogyoku does not make you immune to my powers... You overestimated yourself, Leona."

"... Yes..." she whispered, ignoring the feeling of blood pouring from her mouth as she spoke. "... I guess I did..."

"You admit your mistake?"

"I will," she said, coughing up blood as she peered over her shoulder to meet Aizen's eyes. Aizen's eyebrows rose momentarily, only to fall as the tip of Leona's Zanpakuto slid through his side, cutting through flesh and bone as it went. Leona smiled, relief washing over her as she saw Ichigo appear from a Garganta over Aizen's shoulder. "If you admit yours."

And then she fell, meeting Ichigo's eyes for a single fleeting moment before she went sailing through the sky towards the rubble-covered ground below. She felt her spine strain as she hit the ground with a sickening crack, her whole body seizing up as all the pain that she had been suppressing rose to the surface of her consciousness once again. She let out a cry of horror and pain; Her whole head was ringing, and she didn't know just how much more she could take.

"Nee-sama!"

Her brother's voice was the last thing she heard before she let herself go.

* * *

><p>Waves.<p>

That was the first thing she heard when she opened her eyes once again.

Groaning softly, Leona pushed herself upwards, glancing around to find that she had once more returned to her inner world. Jairo was sitting in the sand in front of her, his chin resting on his fist. His expression told her that he was not at all happy with the situation at hand- Not that she was any more partial to the painful situation than he was. She cleared her throat, alerting her Zanpakuto spirit to her now conscious state. Turning his warm eyes in her direction, he flattened his ears before glowering straight at her.

"What the hell was that?" he snapped, and Leona made a face. She had to admit, that was the last thing she had been expecting to hear.

"What was what?"

"Were you _trying_ to get us killed?" he continued, throwing his hands up in the air angrily. "Hiyori got cut clean in half- Do you two have no self control?"

"Well-"

"Never mind, I already know the answer. The answer is no!"

"Yeah, but-"

"You're supposed to be strong," he said, barreling on despite Leona's many protests. "But here you are again. Geez, I thought this shit was over!"

"What-"

"Well, I guess it's not all your fault. That Aizen is a piece of work, let me tell you." he said thoughtfully, tapping his chin as he spoke. "This war is getting ridiculous. How the hell is one guy so strong?"

"LISTEN TO ME!" Leona's scream echoed out over the red ocean in front of them. This seemed to shut Jairo up immediately, and at last he turned his attention back to her. "Are you just gonna continue to have a conversation with yourself, or can I talk?" Jairo said nothing, so Leona continued. "What am I doing here? I thought I was dead."

"You will be, if we don't hurry," Jairo replied, and Leona felt her heart flutter in her chest briefly. "... Why are you relieved?" Leona lowered her eyes almost shamefully, not wanting to meet Jairo's worried gaze for fear that he would be disappointed.

"... There's no way I can beat Aizen," she muttered darkly. Her fingertips traced patterns in the sand, and Jairo couldn't help but think that she almost resembled a child caught doing something bad. Jairo sighed.

"Is that really what you think?" Jairo asked, his eyes serious. "Because if you can't even fight him without dying, it's nobody's fault but yours."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she snapped, now focussing her eyes on her Zanpakuto spirit. "I tried, didn't I?" she continued, folding her arms defiantly. "I did try!" Jairo snorted.

"Yeah, but that seriously wasn't the best you could do." Leona made a face. If he was suggesting that she trained, then he was shit out of luck. She didn't have that kind of time- Not to train to the point where she could defeat Aizen, anyways. Noticing her distress and confusion, Jairo continued. "Haven't you ever wondered about the cardinals?"

"What?"

"The cardinals." Jairo repeated, jerking his chin upwards to indicate what he was talking about. Leona's eyes followed his gesture, peering upwards until they settled on the flock of red birds that still circled overhead.

"... Well, no." she answered finally, bringing her eyes back down to look at Jairo. "They're my soul, aren't they?" Jairo nodded.

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that they're up there?" he asked, and Leona shook her head. Jairo sighed, apparently disappointed that she wasn't catching on as quickly as he had hoped for. "Why are they up there, and you're down here?"

Leona opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again promptly. In truth, she had never once questioned just why her soul was separate from her inside her inner world. She had always just thought that was how it was meant to be. Knitting her eyebrows together, Leona stared back up at the sky, desperately trying to fit the pieces together to find an answer. None came.

"You're still scared of her," Jairo said finally. Leona froze. "... Aren't you?"

"Who?"

"Hiori," Jairo answered swiftly. Leona blinked.

Honestly, she had never really thought about it. Ever since that tired, sad piece of her soul had come back to her, she had simply stopped thinking about her. But in the darkest depths of her mind, Leona still remembered her. All the blood that was on her hands because of what Hiori had done. All of the lives that Hiori had ruined were forever on her conscious. And somewhere deep, deep inside her, she was worried that Hiori would get tired of being compliant... She was worried that she would come back. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Leona was worried that the little pieces of her soul that, at that moment, seemed so harmless, would one day revolt.

"I thought so," he murmured, standing up as he spoke.

Leona shivered, suddenly sensing danger. An enormous gust of air suddenly whipped through the sandy beach of her inner world, and Leona watched in awe as the flock of cardinals swirled around the stormy grey skies. Leona stood up straight then, facing her Zanpakuto as he stared up at the cardinals. She didn't know what he was doing- He just kept staring at those cardinals as the sand, surf and wind whipped around them like wildfire.

"Jairo, stop it!" she demanded, balling her hands into fists.

Jairo, however, simply ignored her. Stretching out his hand, Leona could only watch as the sand, water and wind suddenly took shape. A moment later, Jairo held the dagger-like blade that she knew all too well in his hand. The small blade of her own Zanpakuto- Of Jairo- glimmered in the dim light of her inner world. Leona swallowed heavily, unsure of what to do next.

"W-what are you-"

"It's the only way, Leona," he muttered, once again turning his gaze skyward as the cardinals circled even lower. "If we don't do this, you'll die."

"Do_ what?_" she asked desperately, growing more and more nervous by the second. "Jairo, what's happening?" It was all she could do to keep her voice from shaking. The cardinals were right above her now. She could feel their little wings beat the air into her face, and their bright red feathers clouded her vision as they circled her face. "Jairo, stop this now!"

"I can't," he whispered, turning his fiery eyes on his wielder. "You have to fix this, Leona."

"Fix _what?_" she called desperately through the flurry of wind and wings. "I don't understand! Jairo, what do you want from me-?"

And then it all stopped. The cardinals vanished and the wind subsided. The previously roaring waters were still once again, and the sand that had been scratching her skin was gone as quickly as it had come. Leona stood stock still, unsure of what she should do. Jairo simply continued to stare at her, sword in hand, his flaming eyes looking at her as calmly as if absolutely nothing had happened. At last, Leona let out the breath that she had been holding.

"Jairo, what the hell?" she gasped, catching her breath. Her inner world was deathly silent as Jairo continued to stare at her unblinkingly. "Mind explaining yourself?" she asked. Jairo's mouth was set in a firm line as he lifted up his sword, pointing it straight at Leona's right arm.

"That-" he said, and Leona followed his gaze. "Is what you'll be fighting me with."

Leona's eyes widened with horror as they fell on the bright red blade in her hand. Tentacle like appendages lash out at her from its hilt, and they burned her skin as they climbed farther up her arm. She cried out, pulling at them and ripping them apart as they went further up her arm. Turning her frantic eyes back to her Zanpakuto spirit, she watched as he lowered his arm, nodding solemnly.

"That's your own power that you have been suppressing," he explained, taking a small step towards her. "You're so afraid of your soul's power that you keep its power separate from the rest of you."

Leona shook her head frantically, once again tearing at the blades tentacles as they scalded her flesh. The acrid smell of burning skin filled the air, and Leona soon felt hot tears stinging her eyes, despite desperately trying to control her fear.

"Your soul is whole again- But most of it is devoid of power." Jairo said quietly. "You keep it inside of these cardinals. So what will it be, Leona?" he murmured. Another step. "You know you can't beat Aizen with just a small portion of your soul's power." Yet another step. Leona soon found her attention pulling away from the tentacles climbing up her arm, focussing instead on her advancing Zanpakuto spirit. "Are you so scared of yourself- Of your own power- that you'll tear yourself apart?"

"Jairo... please..." she begged, no longer caring as the fat, wet tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please, stop..."

"I can't." he whispered, raising his sword. The blade that she had used to stab Aizen only minutes ago was now against her- Leona's heart beat frantically in her chest as she backed away from Jairo. "Your soul isn't meant to be emptied like this, Leona."

The reflection of his blade showed clearly in Leona's unnaturally wide eyes. Her heart was pounding in her ears- She couldn't comprehend what he was saying. She hadn't been suppressing... She couldn't remember ever having done anything of the sort. Certainly one would have to be aware of such things in order to do them?

"The only part of your soul that you're using... No," he muttered, taking several steps closer to his wielder. "The only part of your _power_ that you're using isn't enough. Haven't you ever wondered why _Hitsugaya_-_Hentai_ could get rid of almost an entire division on her own, whereas the most you've done is get rid of a single Arrancar?"

"B... But, I-"

"It's because only using a portion of your power makes you weak," he interrupted. Leona took several steps backwards, briefly loosing her balance as she stumbled through the sand. "Your soul is powerless because you make it so," The burning sensation in her arm was quickly overtaking her, and Leona could only hope that she would be able to hold her own against Jairo with this much pain. "You've drained yourself of power on purpose because you're afraid. _Fear_ has made you weak."

"... Are you going to kill me?" she breathed. Jairo shook his head.

"No, Leona." he murmured, bringing his sword down with a heavy swing. "I'm going to save you."

* * *

><p><strong>In this chapter, we get to see a short fight between Leona and Aizen- I hope I did that part believably. I didn't want her to be ridiculously strong, especially since it's Aizen. We also find out that Leona has a sort of connection to Aizen: She's able to sense his movements. This is because when Aizen turned her into the Inigena, he used the Hogyoku, and now that the Hogyoku is a part of him, they are sort of connected. This doesn't really end up playing that big of a role in the rest of the story, though. <strong>

**Leona is gravely injured and falls to the ground just as Ichigo makes his appearance, and she is drawn into her inner world once again. Jairo is angry with her for being weak, but she simply attributes it to Aizen's being so strong. Jairo, however, materializes his blade, saying that she's been suppressing the power of the rest of her soul because she is afraid of it because of what happened with Hiori in Hueco Mundo. Leona doesn't really get it, because she's been doing it unconsciously. **

**To explain: Basically, when Leona fought her inner Hollow and won, the power she gained from it was separated from the rest of her power. It's all she's been using since. The rest of her "soul", or her power, was caged and took on the guise of cardinals within her inner world. So essentially it's like when Ichigo suppressed his Inner Hollow, except that she's too afraid to use it, and it just makes her weaker. So there's the little bit of her power that she's been using as "Leona", and then there's the rest of it, which is kept completely separate from the rest of her soul.**

**It's like her whole soul is there- But more than half of it is completely devoid of power, which is why she's been having so much trouble when she's fighting.**

**The cardinals then materialize on her arm as a blade. The hilt of the blade then turns into tentacles that rapidly try to overtake Leona's body and burn her, which she desperately tries to get rid of before Jairo attacks her. More to come in the next chapter!**

****I'd also like to say that, as per suggestion, I have started a new story called The Dark Beat. This is the second plot that I asked you guys to pick from a few chapters ago. If you've got time, I'd love to get some more feedback on that- You can find it on my profile. If you read it, be sure to let me know what you think!**

**and to bored411: Here's a hint- You won't be able to figure out who it is by rewatching the arc! If you go back through part 4 of this story, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out. Thanks so much for all your reviews!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, and keep 'em coming! Questions/comments/ideas? Put them in a review! I'd love to get at least 200 before this story comes to an end!**


	54. Part 4: DECIDE

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><p>"... Are you going to kill me?" she breathed. Jairo shook his head.<p>

"No, Leona." he murmured, bringing his sword down with a heavy swing. "I'm going to save you."

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><p><em>"<em>_One who paints the beauty in love_ _is one who pretends to not know love's form._ _One who paints the ugliness in love_ _is one who understood it well.__"_

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><p>It burned. Everything simply burned. Her heart and her head were on fire from fear, panic and confusion. Her muscles screamed and ached, while her arm was literally scalded to the bone. Her breathing was ragged and uneven, and Leona could only hope with some desperate, faint hope that she could defend herself through so much pain. But as her crimson blood sprayed through the air, drawn out by her own Zanpakuto spirit, who she had always trusted so explicitly, she quickly began to doubt that she would live to see the end of this small chapter in her life- The Winter War may go on without her, after all.<p>

"If you keep thinking that way, you really will die."

Jairo was staring at her from the red waters of her inner world. His Zanpakuto glittered in the light reflected by the ocean, and Leona couldn't help but think that he looked almost like a vindictive god of some kind. In a flash he was in front of her, his Zanpakuto clashing with her searing hot blade with a metallic clang before he pushed himself away yet again.

Leona flinched- The wound he had inflicted minutes before seemed to be causing more pain than a normal wound, and she guessed that it had something to do with the blade that had now fixed itself to her hand. The burning tentacles continued to climb farther up her arm, searing her skin like meat on a grill before attaching itself to her. She cried out again, tearing at the tentacles with her nails, not caring at all as some of her own flesh came off along with the tentacles as she ripped them from her arm.

"That's really what you're deciding to do?" Jairo asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Ignore the person cutting you, and focusing on that?"

"It hurts!" she protested, tears still stinging her eyes as she pulled desperately at the tentacles.

"Power hurts," Jairo said softly. Leona frowned, ignoring him as she continued to rip at the tentacles. "I was being serious, Leona. If you keep this up, you will die."

"So let me die!" she cried, turning away from her self-destructive weapon to face her Zanpakuto spirit. His words were not comforting- They didn't help her accept the situation at all. She wished he would just stop speaking, and see things from her perspective. "There's no way I can fight you and this... This _thing_ all at once!"

"Who said anything about fighting it?"

"What?" she breathed, but instead of answering, Jairo lunged.

She backed away from him swiftly, ducking low in the sand to avoid her face getting cut by his blade. Jairo growled in an animalistic manner, flattening his ears and snarling at his wielder before jabbing his sword in her direction once again. Leona blocked it, however, instincts overriding her need to get the searing tentacles off of her sensitive skin as she met Jairo's blade with her own.

"That's right," he muttered ducking to avoid a blow before taking a swipe at Leona's legs. "Fight me."

Snarling, Leona sliced upwards with her red hot blade, watching as a chunk of Jairo's hair fell from his head and landed in the sand. The stinging in her arm increased, and Leona flinched, leaving an opening for Jairo. Taking the opportunity, Jairo sliced straight through her stomach, the skin opening and letting out a fair amount of blood. Leona gasped, barely able to keep her body from falling to the ground as her body began to get low on blood. She felt woozy- Queazy, even. Her head had a light feeling, and her vision was quickly becoming blurry.

The small, indescribable fears that had always resided in the back of her mind were quickly overflowing into the forefront of Leona's mind. She was powerless to stop it, no matter how hard she tried. She wasn't afraid to die- On the contrary, sometimes she even welcomed the very thought of death. She had been living this life for hundreds of years, possibly more, and all she felt was exhaustion. No, she was not afraid to die. She was afraid of becoming a shadow- Afraid of being trapped in her body and watching as Hiori or whatever other part of her soul could possibly rebel against her forced in into her inner world, forcing her to watch as they caused all the pain they possibly could. Pain that she would be unable to stop, but pain that would remain on her hands and on her conscious for the rest of her life.

"If you don't fight me seriously, nothing will happen." Jairo said, his bright red eyes observing Leona carefully as she struggled to stay standing. "Don't think for a second that I won't wound you for real,"

"Thanks," she muttered bitterly, clutching her stomach with her free hand as she said this. "I'll keep that in mind next time."

"You act as though this is my fault." Jairo said, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.

At this, Leona lashed out, unable to control her frustration with her Zanpakuto any longer. "It is your fault!" she growled, ripping the tentacles growing on her arm away from her flesh once more. "You got me into this mess! Why did you even bring me here- You could have just let me go!"

"I can't do that,"

"You're so desperate to live that you won't just let me rest?" she retorted, glowering angrily at the Chimera Boy in front of her. "Selfish."

"The opposite, really." he replied without missing a beat. "You can't die just yet. Not for my sake, or yours, but for Ichigo and the others." Leona paused at this statement, completely thrown by this unexpected sentiment.

"... What do you mean?" she asked, lowering her blade and concentrating completely on the boy in front of her. Jairo sighed.

"There are things that may happen soon... Things that only you have the solution to."

"'May happen', you say." she repeated, arching an eyebrow. "You don't know for sure?"

"Of course not. I'm a Zanpakuto spirit, I'm not convalescent."

"That's helpful," she replied sarcastically.

"What did you expect?" Jairo snapped, taking a step closer and raising his Zanpakuto. "For me to just give you all the answers here and now? Life isn't so easy, Leona, when has it ever been?" Leona stayed silent, nodding slowly.

She knew what he said was true- Life wasn't easy. It never had been, not for her, anyways. Bit if what Jairo said was true, perhaps she couldn't die just yet. She didn't know what he thought was to come- She didn't know what would happen in the future. But she did know that, had it been Ichigo, he never would have given up. He would have stayed alive, even if it was only to protect those he cared about. Jairo was right... She had been selfish for giving in... For giving up.

At last she stopped her musings, looking up from the sandy beach to stare straight into Jairo's fiery eyes. He made a face, apparently trying to gage her reaction to see just what was going through her mind. Leona knew that he knew just what was going through her mind. She knew he could feel what she felt, that he knew what she knew. She knew just how tired she was. Tired of the struggle that life brought with it- But that was living. As long as she was needed by those that she cared about, she could accept it for what it was. She would push through it, if it meant that someday, she could protect Ichigo the way he had so selflessly protected her for so many months.

"Jairo..." she murmured, feeling the burning in her arm increase tenfold as the tentacles attached themselves to her shoulder. His eyes widened at her words, apparently lost as to what she was doing.

But Leona knew it was an act- She had calmed down, and now that she was in her right mind, she could sense what he was sensing just as easily as he could sense what she was feeling. She didn't understand how she hadn't seen it before- The answer that he was so desperately trying to get her to realize. The wound on her stomach had stopped bleeding, and the tentacles had soon overtaken much of the right side of her body. She knew what she had to do- Jairo's eyes had revealed this much to her. She just hoped that she would not come to regret returning to the world. All she could to was trust in Jairo's words, and believe what he said. There would come a time where she would be needed more than she was at that moment- Then, and only then, could she finally give herself over to her next life.

"What are you doing?" Jairo asked, eyes narrowing as the tentacles overtook her left shoulder.

Leona smiled against the pain, forcing herself not to cry out as the little arms of her blade fixed themselves to her body like parasites. She felt something inside of her stir- Like some great power was mixing with her own. She felt it fill her up slowly. It was a feeling more intense than the burning pain that she was feeling all over her body. The feeling of letting that power in for the first time since she had become "Leona". She was afraid- But Jairo didn't look afraid. And all she had at that moment was the trust she felt for her Zanpakuto spirit.

"This is the way it's supposed to be, isn't it?" she whispered. She raised up her chin, wanting to to finish speaking to Jairo before the tentacles overtook her face. "I'm accepting it- This power that burns me. I'll take it and turn it into something that I can use," Jairo's confused expression quickly turned into one of triumph. He dropped his Zanpakuto to the ground, his eyes proud as he watched his wielder slowly give herself over to the power that she had so carefully hidden from herself in plain sight.

"When you wake up, Leona, Aizen will be looking for you." he said, glancing around the skies of their inner world. "Actually, I think he already has."

"Wha-" Leona's words were cut off as her lips were burned by a tentacle. Her cries were muffled as they continued to cover her skin, and she blinked back tears as she tried desperately to meet Jairo's eyes.

"Don't stop him," he said, looking down from the sky to meet her eyes one last time. "What he does when you wake up- Don't stop him."

_Jairo..._ she wanted to say desperately. Her eyes were obscured from view as the burning tentacles covered them, and she wanted to cry out as they burned through her eyelids, searing her skin. _Jairo, please don't leave me..._

"I'm not leaving you, Leona." he said. Leona's breath caught in her throat as she felt her body slowly begin to meld with the tentacles. "No matter what, I'll never leave you alone. Even when you leave this life, I'll stay with you."

With those last words, Leona felt her body fall apart, the tentacles grabbing hold of everything they could possibly reach. The little bits of her that she could somehow still feel were brought back together again- But somehow, this time, they felt different. _She_ felt different. The flock of cardinals did not reappear in the sky, and she felt that empty feeling that had always been with her quickly begin to disappear as the power filled up the entirety of her soul. All she had to do was accept it... Transcend the pain. And then, she was spiraling downwards, away from her inner world and back to her body in the middle of the Winter War.

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><p>Destruction and chaos surrounded her when she finally came to. All the pain she had felt when she went under had left her body, leaving her feeling completely healed and, if anything, more powerful than ever.<p>

Slowly, cautiously, she sat up. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears, even though she somehow knew that she no longer needed to fear for her life. All around her was smoke and rubble. Looking down, she soon realized that she was laying on the remains of a completely demolished building. Looking to her right, her eyes widened as they fell on a group of all too familiar faces.

The eyes of Arisawa Tatsuki widened, too, when Leona's met hers. It was as though she somehow recognized her, despite Leona having been completely forgotten in the world of the living. Leona, however, was not allotted much time to reminisce, and the next moment a familiar feeling began to overtake her. She immediately recognized the feeling as Aizen- But, for whatever reason, his Reiatsu no longer caused her bones to creak and her head to ache as it once had. The approaching presence of the Hogyoku was her alert to his appearance, and tearing her eyes away from Tatsuki, Leona looked to her left.

Far away, she could see Aizen's silver-haired right hand man laying against a rock. His breathing was ragged and uneven by the looks of him, and with immense surprise, Leona realized that one of his arms was missing. Matsumoto was bent over him, tears spilling from her eyes as her lips moved and she spoke to him. Leona's eyes softened- Perhaps Gin had not been the coldhearted killer and traitor that everyone had thought him to be.

No sooner had her mind begun to think about this, she was torn away from the subject, her thoughts turning instead to the presence that was now directly in front of her. Leona's breath caught in her throat, and she felt bile rise in her mouth as she felt an inescapable feeling of disgust overtake her.

Aizen Sosuke was almost beyond recognition. His skin was pure white, his eyes such an abysmal black that had she been anyone else, she may have gotten lost within them. He stared down at her, his expression showing a hint of annoyance and confusion as he regarded her thoughtfully. Three pairs of identical wings protruded from his back, white as the rest of his body, and his brown hair now flowed in the air behind him. Leona's eyes narrowed as she continued to stare- This was a truly horrendous transformation, one the defied all laws set by nature and, consequentially, the world itself.

She hated it. She hated _him._

"This is troubling, indeed." Aizen said at last.

The rubble shifted beneath him as he took a step closer, reaching out a pure white hand. For a moment, Leona considered fighting, or even running. But Jairo's words rang through her mind again, keeping her from doing anything besides keeping her eyes locked on the transformed Aizen- _Don't stop him_, he had said. Aizen's fingers drew still closer, and Leona could practically feel the evil energy surrounding him radiate against her skin. He was a truly disgusting creature- She was surprised that the world even allowed his presence. Certainly such an abomination should not be allowed in the world of the living?

Her thoughts ceased as his fingertips touched her skin, running down her face as he crouched lower to the ground. She shivered, but not out of fear, as they traveled down her neck and over her chest. For some reason, Aizen did not seem to be questioning why she wasn't running or resisting. Perhaps by that point he thought so highly of himself that it didn't faze him- Perhaps he thought her powerless in his presence. Leona's eyes narrowed even more; How wrong he would soon find himself to be.

"I had hoped the fall would kill you," he mused, hid fingers finally coming to rest on her Hollow Hole. "But it seems that I made you stronger than I thought... No matter," he continued, and second later Leona gasped as he stuck his whole fist straight through the hole in her abdomen. It didn't hurt- But it did not feel right, either. Her body seemed to sense the intrusion of such an abominable creature, and she felt her entire existence begin to reject him with everything it had. The feeling itself did nothing, however, though it took all Leona had in the way of willpower to not shove the man away from her right at that very moment.

_Don't stop him_.

She repeated these words to herself like a mantra. She didn't know what would happen if she stopped him, but she didn't care to find out. Jairo would not have told her to do otherwise had the consequences of doing so not been detrimental, to say the least. So she waited, holding her breath as she met the dark eyes of Aizen Sosuke, who was now smiling to himself triumphantly. She rolled her eyes. He really was fond of all this horrible power that he now held in his body.

"The Hogyoku exists to serve its master," he murmured. Leona's eyes fell on his chest, where the little gem that was the Hogyoku was now clearly visible. "I wished that it could change you and turn you into what you are today- So it did." A uncomfortable tingling was now spreading through Leona's body, and she was now struggling to resist the urge to push Aizen away with all of her strength. "And now, it will take away that power that it gave you, because I wish it to."

The next moment, Leona could not contain her cries of pain. Energy burst forth from Aizen's fist, which was still going through her body through her Hollow Hole. Leona screamed as loud as she could, fighting her own instincts even as her hands raised of their own accord to push Aizen away. Blood sprayed the air as her Hollow armor was ripped away from her skin, and she felt the hole in her stomach begin to close around Aizen's hand as her Arrancar appearance was stripped from her body.

Was this what Jairo had wanted? Leona didn't understand. How was she to beat Aizen if she was no longer the Indigena? In truth, Leona wasn't even sure if that was what was happening. Through the immense pain, she could still feel the power she had gained only minutes ago still within her. None of Aizen's actions seemed to be affecting that in the slightest.

"Be gone, Indigena," he muttered, watching with barely concealed delight as the Hollow armor vanished entirely. "I no longer have any need for you. You are a hinderance-"

A sudden crushing noise stopped the rest of his words, leaving them unsaid but still on the tip of his tongue. Leona stopped screaming as he removed his hand from her body, leaving her completely whole, no evidence of her time as an Arrancar visible on her body. She was breathing heavily, desperately trying not to panic. Despite her trust for her Zanpakuto, she was worried. Worried that she was now powerless.

All of her worries were instantly forgotten when her eyes came to rest on Ichigo, who was now standing in between her and Aizen. Leona nearly jumped as Ichigo swiftly set down the limp body of his father beside of her, and it was then that she caught sight of his face. He looked so different. His bright orange locks were now almost as long as her hair was, the carrot colored hairs tickling just above the base of his neck. His face looked different, too; Older, wiser somehow, as if he had been around this world forever. As if he felt the weight of everyone's problems on his shoulders, and he knew that he was the only who could fix them.

His body had also become more muscular, and Leona gasped along with Tatsuki and the others when she realized that Zangetsu was now attached to his muscled arm by a thin chain. His hakama's sleeves were ripped, and he wore the most serious expression Leona had ever seen on his face. His normally light brown eyes had darkened with seriousness, and Leona could only stare up at his back as he continued to shield her from Aizen. For a moment, it looked like he was hesitating, but then he murmured something so soft that she almost didn't hear.

"... Good. Yuzu and Karin are safe," he said. Then, he turned to face Leona, his serious brown eyes settling on her with an intensity that she had never felt from him before. "What did he do to you?" he said at last, looking her body up and down, confusion barely showing in his eyes. She shook her head slowly, standing up shakily before she spoke.

"It's nothing,"

"You were screaming."

"It doesn't hurt..." she assured him. Slowly, she ran her hands down her smooth skin, the very skin that had, only minutes ago, been concealed by heavy Hollow armor. Despite herself, she felt a smile twitch the corners of her lips before she looked back up to meet Ichigo's eyes once again. Her fingers twitched, and for a moment she hesitated, unsure of whether now was a good time. But with a heavy swallow, Leona shoved all of her doubts into the back of her mind, reaching out for Ichigo's face determinedly with her fingertips. "... Not any more."

Ichigo's eyelids fluttered shut for a fleeting moment as the tips of her fingers made contact with the cool skin of his cheek. He let out an audible sigh, but he didn't move as Leona stepped still closer. Leona moved cautiously, carefully, like a sudden movement would alert Ichigo to the many dangers surrounding them once again, and then the moment would come to an end. Placing her knuckles gently against his cheekbone, Leona leaned in further, not even daring to breath. Finally, she stopped, unable to take it anymore. Her eyes searched his face for something- _Anything-_ That would tell her what to do.

Ichigo's eyes opened once more, meeting her stormy grey orbs for another minute. Had Leona been able to form a single coherent thought, she would have most likely been wondering why someone had not attacked them yet. But all half formed thoughts were scattered in her mind when she felt Ichigo's warm lips on her own. From far to her left she heard a collective gasp form the group of Ichigo's friends that had somehow made it into the fake Karakura Town. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't think, but oddly enough it was not an uncomfortable feeling. It felt right... It felt perfect.

"... That..." she whispered, keeping her lips as close to his as possible, even after they had broken apart. "... Is what I wanted to tell you..."

"Remind me again later," Ichigo said, chuckling deep within his chest and backing away slowly from the red head in his arms. "We haven't won yet."

And then he turned away from her, and Leona was watching again as he walked towards Aizen. Her lips still tingling, Leona tried to reach out to sense Ichigo's Reiatsu- But there was none there. It wasn't the same as with Aizen's Reiatsu. The feeling with his was more like she had overcome its crushing power, rather than it had surpassed her beyond her conscious understanding. She could feel it, but it no longer affected her because she was stronger. But Ichigo... From him, she felt absolutely nothing.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Aizen murmured. "That was touching." he said sarcastically, his eyes resting on Leona for a short moment before reverting back to Ichigo. "... But if you are really Kurosaki Ichigo, then I am disappointed. I can't feel any Reiatsu from you at all." Leona's heart stopped, and she turned her attention back to Ichigo, who seemed unfazed by Aizen's accusations. Something inside of her told her that she had to trust him. She just had to. "Even if you were holding back, I'd feel something. You've made a mistake. I gave you one last chance, but you let it slip away... Too bad, Kur-"

"Aizen," Ichigo's voice was deep, cutting across Aizen's voice easily like a knife cutting through soft butter. "Let's go somewhere else. I don't want to fight here." His eyes darted from Tatsuki and Keigo to Leona, and then back to Aizen again.

"A meaningless proposal," Aizen murmured. "Those are the words of a person who has the strength to fight me. Don't worry. Before Karakura is destroyed, you will be-"

The rest of his words were lost to them, however, as Ichigo's hand grabbed hold of his face violently, silencing him before he could say anything more. And just like that they were gone, leaving only the empty sound of Aizen's lost words in their wake. Leona nearly choked on her own breath, looking skyward to watch as Ichigo disappeared from view.

"... You..."

Leona turned, her grey eyes finding Tatsuki standing just beside of her. Her eyes were narrowed, peering at her in disbelief. She stepped closer, and Leona flinched a little when she reached up her own hand.

"... I know you..." she murmured, contorting her face as if she were desperately grasping at the memories in her mind that should not have existed any longer. Leona smiled kindly, tilting her head to meet Tatsuki's eyes as she spoke.

"Yes," she replied, her smile flickering almost sadly. "You did."

Tatsuki fell silent once again, backing away but still looking confused. Leona sighed, looking back up at the blue sky above her. There was no longer any sign of Ichigo or Aizen, but far off in the distance she could still feel the level Reiatsu of Aizen, along with the feeling of the Hogyoku. Closing her eyes, Leona focused her mind on her Zanpakuto.

_'Jairo?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'What can I do?'_ she asked solemnly. '_He didn't take my powers, did he?'_

_'No_,' he replied swiftly, and Leona could have sworn that she felt her dagger sized Zanpakuto thrum with excitement. '_You have all of your own power, now. He changed your soul with a piece of the Hogyoku- A piece that he still has yet to retrieve. That little slice of the Hogyoku that did his dirty work for so many years is yours, now. You made it yours by fighting for it, Leona. And now he's going to regret what he did to you.' _Leona's breath hitched in her throat as she listened, her closed eyes twitched as she waited for him to continue. _'He's going to regret what he turned you into all those years ago.'_ Leona's eyes opened and widened.

_What...?_

_'You heard me right.' _he said slowly. '_Because of that, you yourself won't ever be able to kill him. You have a connection with that thing inside him that will always prevent you from dealing the final blow... But you can still help Ichigo.'_

_'... Just tell me what to do...'_

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><p><strong>So in this chapter, Leona has a short fight with Jairo, which ends with her realizing that he never really wanted to fight her- He just wanted her to see what she needed to do with that power. When she woke up, Aizen was standing over her, and said that since he created her using the Hogyoku that he is the master of, he can take her Arrancar powers back, which he proceeds to do. Ichigo shows up then, and the long awaited moment arrives! Hope I wrote that little scene alright...<strong>

**Anyways, Ichigo leaves and Tatsuki says that she knows Leona. Just a short pre-fight moment with Leona's long lost foster sister. Then she speaks with Jairo, who at last reveals just what the hell is up with her powers- Aizen used a sliver of the Hogyoku that is now in his body to create the thing that Leona became, which then created the Vizards. So now she's stuck with a little itty bitty piece of the Hogyoku inside of her. Although this means that she would never be able to kill Aizen herself because of the twin pieces of the Hogyoku inside of the both of them, Jairo says that she can still help Ichigo. How? Find out next chapter!**

**Hope you all enjoyed this, and please, please review if you read! I never like it when people withhold chapters for reviews, so I won't do it, but just know that I'd really appreciate the reviews! **

**Also, I'd really love it if some of my readers would go check out my new story The Dark Beat- Feedback on that would be really great.**

**To Azulish: Your review made me smile like an idiot when I read it. This is the longest review I have ever received, and I must say I enjoyed reading it. I'll also say that you are much closer than anyone in your guesses, though I won't flat out answer with yeses or nos. All I'll say is that you've got to keep reading to find out- But those are some excellent theories about Aizen's trick, as well as the "Beta Indigena", or Omega, already having some sort of power! Thank you so, so much for the review and all of your praise for my writing! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**

**to bored411: All good guesses but no dice! Not to worry, though, all will be revealed soon! Another hint, it's not someone who has been mentioned too much. I'm sure if you read some of the other reviews for the previous chapter you could gain some other helpful hints! Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**to Lago: Thanks for all of your reviews and support! I have to admit that I was a little nervous about doing that thing with the Hogyoku, so I'm glad you enjoyed it, and that you didn't think I was overdoing it too much.**


	55. Part 4: Silent Victor

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><p><em>"The constant shower of the sun's mane will erase the remaining footprints on the thin ice. Don't be afraid to be deceived, for the world is already full of deception.<em>_"_

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><p>Leona had pictured many, many times just how her final fight with Aizen would occur. Perhaps she would say something witty, or maybe something meaningful; The truth was that it changed every time. Sometimes she would have an amazing power with which not even Aizen could contend. Other times, she was simply in the right place at the right time, utilizing a Kido spell as simple as Tsuzuri Raiden<strong>* <strong>to deal the final blow. The only thing that ever remained unchanged was that she was protecting people that she cared for. People like Toshiro, Tatsuki, Rukia, Byakuya, Urahara, Kensei... People like Ichigo.

If she were to tell herself that she accepted the fact that she could not be the one to kill Aizen, she would be lying. She knew that well enough; Jairo knew that well enough. At that moment, she felt jealousy coursing through her- Jealousy that was directed towards the same person who she was dying to protect. That same person who had been with her through every single step of this messed up act that was called life since she awoke from the daze of amnesia. The person who had believed that she was innately good, despite the words of so many others. She was jealous of the one boy... No, the one man that she had come to trust so implicitly it scared her.

At the moment, she was simply watching. Leona was certain that by then Ichigo knew that she had followed him. But Aizen didn't. Aizen was too conceited to notice anything but what was right in front of him. It was a flaw that would, in time, be the end of him. Leona glanced over her own skin for several moments, not even flinching as the sound of exploding and crumbling rock filled her ears. She had been trying to find the exact location of that tiny slice of the Hogyoku ever since Ichigo had left her behind in Karakura Town. For a moment she traced the blueish veins that showed just barely through her skin- Perhaps it was better if she never knew.

Even as she stood there, Leona couldn't help but feel that it was awfully strange to be on the outside of such things, and yet realize so much. It was simply coming to her, like truth. Like she could just _understand_ without exerting much effort at all. Even if Aizen could not see it, she did. She wondered vaguely if it was because of how she felt about Ichigo that she could understand so simply- But she swiftly dismissed this thought. Despite Aizen's conceited blindness towards Ichigo, she could see just what he had done with almost painful clarity; Ichigo had transcended.

Ichigo was no longer simply the Substitute Shinigami struggling, fighting tooth and nail to protect his friends. He was the Substitute Shinigami who had transcended Aizen Sosuke- He no longer had to struggle. That much was clear to her just by looking in his eyes. Perhaps Aizen still thought that the destruction around them was the result of his own power- But Leona knew this was not true, somehow. It was all Ichigo. This was all Ichigo's power. No matter what words Aizen through at him, that would never change the fact that Ichigo had become so much stronger than him. And all for the sake of saving, rather than causing pain.

It all seemed so strange. So surreal.

Leona had not known Ichigo very long. In fact, the amount of time that she had known Kurosaki Ichigo dwarfed in comparison to how long she had been alive. Hundreds, maybe more, years of life stood between her arrival in the Junrinan District of Rukon-Gai, and the day she first met the orange haired boy who would later mean so much to her.

When they had first met, he was simply another rowdy teenager with a bad attitude, save for a few tricks up his sleeves; After all, turning into a Shinigami and fighting off Hollows were hardly activities that most rowdy teenagers participated in. Then, Rukia had been kidnapped, and the young boy was forced to mature to steel himself against the unforgiving world of souls- Against the harsh rules of the Soul Society.

He had come so far since then. Exposing Aizen, rescuing Rukia. These many things that he had accomplished in large part with little assistance, and he had gained significant recognition in the Seiretei. But it hadn't stopped there- Not with Aizen on the loose and plotting against Soul Society. And it seemed that Soul Society just couldn't do without the boy who, in the very beginning, they had been so determined to capture and kill. He had saved Soul Society. He had saved Rukia, he had saved Orihime. He had even saved Leona from herself on countless occasions. And now, here he was, saving the whole of Karakura Town. He did so much, often Leona wondered how he did it all with such a calm expression, like the one that he wore now.

The explosions around her stopped abruptly, drawing her attention out of her own thoughts and back to the fight in front of her. Leona suddenly realized the Aizen was now standing on a plateau of sorts that was not four yards from where she was standing. Leona, however, did not move at all, and instead simply fixed her cloudy eyes on the man in front of her. He was breathing almost heavily, and his dark eyes were narrowed in Ichigo's direction.

"Can I ask you, now..." Ichigo spoke softly, almost so soft that Leona could not hear it. "Why is it that you distance yourself?" Aizen stiffened, and Leona could already sense that he was upset- Frustrated, even, by this turn of events. It seemed that the man had finally realized that it was not his own power that had flattened this land in less than five minutes- It had all been Ichigo. Leona could feel the Hogyoku flutter and fade in and out- Aizen was afraid.

"Do you congratulate yourself that you stopped my sword?" He, too, spoke softly, but even from far away Leona could hear his steady voice shaking. "Are you happy that you destroyed my Kido? Are you happy that you wounded me?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed, turning towards Leona for a short moment before Aizen finally seemed to lose it. "Don't get above yourself, Human!"

His screams echoed through the area surrounding the three of them. Leona stood stock still, watching in horror as a third eyes ripped open in the middle of his head. Blood dripped down his face as he leaned to the right, his eyes going blank as the eye continued to rip through his face. Leona's heart rate quickened, and she was surprised with herself that she wasn't screaming. It was a disgusting sight, but Aizen continued to transform, his wings and his hands twisting and turning as he he physically became more Hollow than Human.

"I see..." he said finally. "You cannot stand it, can you, Hogyoku?" he murmured, and it was then that Leona felt something stir inside of her. Her breath hitched in her throat- The Hogyoku was responding. "That a mere human should get the better of me." And then he jumped, flame and energy surrounding both him and Ichigo as his feet touched the ground, and Leona could only cover her face with her arms in an attempt to shield herself from the heat of his power. The power subsided, and Leona could see that Ichigo's arm was now burnt almost to a crisp.

"... So that's all it did..." Aizen said thoughtfully, and it was then that Leona heard Jairo speak from deep within her mind. He told her to move- He told her to move, and soon. "But you won't be able to use that arm anymore."

Aizen lunged, arm raised and aimed at Ichigo, but Leona was there before he could come any closer to the orange haired Shinigami. Their palms met, and Leona slowly wrapped her fingers around Aizen's hand. He snarled, and Leona soon realized that the man was now more animal than human, no matter how powerful he was. She kept her face stoic, however, taking a leaf out of Ichigo's book and keeping her calm eyes fixed on Aizen's. From behind her, she heard Ichigo protest.

"... Leona, this is my fight." he said calmly, but Leona simply peered over her shoulder in response, not removing her hand from Aizen's.

"It's not, Ichigo," she replied. She felt Aizen attempt to rip his hand from her grasp, but it didn't work. "It's everyone's fight. And you're not the only one strong enough to take him... But you are the only one strong enough to finish him."

And with those last words Leona turned back to face Aizen- Her creator- with those same, unchanged cloudy eyes that had first caught Aizen's attention one hundred and ten years ago. Leona's red hair whipped around her face as she drew closer to Aizen, who now seemed to be all but frozen in shock.

"That power that you poisoned me with," she whispered, so that Ichigo could not hear. "It's mine now."

Aizen was pushed back with the force of Leona's fist, his head snapping to the right as her hand made contact with his third eye. Leona followed him towards the ground, flying almost effortlessly after him as she allowed her instincts and the Hogyoku to take over. She reached for her Zanpakuto, brandishing the small blade in front of her. Leona raised up her right hand, blocking Aizen's attack and lashing out at him with her Zanpakuto in the other.

Aizen's eyes widened as her fingers made contact with his eyes, and despite all of that power that he had acquired, Leona's ears soon filled with the sound of his painful growl as she dug her thumbs still further into his skull. He snarled with anger, attempting to scratch and claw at her face with his hands, and at last she stepped back, surveying the damage.

Aizen glowered, his now empty eye sockets bleeding profusely as he did so, roaring shrilly in Leona's direction as she drew even closer. Her red hair whipped around her face, and she could still feel the Hogyoku within her ebbing in and out like the tide, its power rising and falling with her feelings and proximity to Aizen. For a moment, it seemed like she was winning, but the next second her windpipe was constricted as Aizen's Hollow-like hand wrapped around her neck.

"If that's the way it is, then I will simply take _that_ from you, too." he replied, snarling and running his free hand over her skin, as if doing so would allow him to find the illusive shard. "Just like I took your life... Just like I took your humanity." The wings on his back unfurled, displaying terrifying skull-like appendages on the end of each one. Slowly, they closed in around her, and Leona could already sense that now was the time- This was his most powerful attack. And it was now, or never, that she had to act.

"I can't kill you, Aizen..." Leona spoke softly, a voice just barely audible due to her lack of oxygen. "But that doesn't mean that I can't still beat you. **_Consume, Purify, Jairo!_**" She felt something inside of her pull itself towards the blade of her Zanpakuto, and a moment later, it vanished in a wisp of smoke. "This is Indigena's final transformation... **_Maou**_**."

Her face was forced skyward as a loud gasp escaped her lips- The feeling of being completely taken over by the Hogyoku was like nothing that she had ever before experienced. She felt as if she was overflowing with power, and it was astonishing to her that such a tiny shard could give her such power. Her hair grew longer, then, but it was only later that she realized that instead of hair, it was deep red flames that whipped around her face. Fire covered every inch of her skin- The heat of her bonfire like power turned the sands below her to glass, and Aizen covered his face with his arms to avoid the scorching heat. Leona had to admit that she now regretted blinding him- He would never get to see just what she had become.

Her deep, blood red flames scorched and burned Aizen's wings, which quickly retreated from their attack positions to cower behind Aizen's back. Leona stayed still, surveying the almost cowering Aizen that now stood in front of her. Slowly, she brought a single hand up to her face, her eyes widening in astonishment and confusion when she realized that Amaterasu's tattoo had now spread to cover her entire body along with the flames.

"I took your power!" he roared. "I took it back!"

Leona breathed in deeply, allowing her adrenaline-shocked nerves to calm themselves before she took another step towards the disoriented Aizen. With every step she took, bright red flames licked up around her bare feet, and she was surprised to discover that all the pain she had been feeling from her wounds from Aizen- Right down to her mangled toes- Had dissipated entirely.

"You can't manipulate me anymore." she said calmly. Her voice was heard through the flames as twisted and warped, as if the fire itself was speaking for her. Had an average human been around at the time, they would have heard nothing. Her words were not something that anyone beneath her power could even comprehend*****. **"I can never stop being Indigena... Because I wish it," Aizen's eye sockets widened, and Leona knew that he understood what she was saying, because his hand slowly came up to touch the Hogyoku in his chest. "I am in your dimension, now, Aizen."

Leona gave him no more time to allow her words to sink in. Without another word, her flame-covered hand forced its way directly through Aizen's chest, shards of his pure white exoskeleton peeling off and fluttering in the breeze before turning to ash just by being close to Leona's Hellfire. She shut her eyes as she felt her thin fingers wrap around the little orb in his chest, opening her eyes once more and whispering the last words that she would ever say to Aizen Sosuke.

"_Burn,"_

And then she took it from him. The thing that was never meant to be his- Never meant to be anyone's, for that matter. It tore from his chest and he screamed, flames bursting from the brand new hole in his chest spontaneously. He backed away, howling with rage as the flames continued to lick at his Hollowfied skin. Ichigo's calm eyes watched as the scene before him played out, and Leona glanced around Aizen, gripping the Hogyoku still tighter in her fist before nodding purposefully.

She had known that simply taking it would not be enough- She knew that it would never be enough. The Hogyoku acknowledged Aizen just as Aizen acknowledged it, and it was for that reason that his skin stayed that same unnatural white color. That was why his third eye remained in place, despite the fact that the source of his horrible power no longer protruded from his chest.

And then Leona turned to Ichigo, the boy who now stood a whole dimension above the power that both she and Aizen possessed. The Substitute Shinigami that had caused so much uproar in the Sereitei now stood many levels above what other Shinigami could only dream to achieve, and Leona could only watch in awe as the predatory dark energy surrounded and covered him. Aizen roared once more, the burns on his body taking their toll as he was forced to the ground from the pain.

"It's impossible!" he screamed, his three eyes darting from Leona to Ichigo in a mixture of fear and disbelief. "This is not the way! The Hogyoku is _mine!_" he screeched, and Leona's eyes lowered to watch as the purplish gem clutched in her fingers glittered with his words. "And it is impossible for a mere human to surpass me! THIS IS NOT THE-" Ichigo silenced him with a single look, stretching out his arm on his right before speaking.

"Mugetsu."

Then Leona's eyes slid shut, exhaustion overtaking her and drawing her into darkness. It was all in the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo.

* * *

><p>Bright, early morning sun glittered against the dew in the grass. Soul Society seemed to be much busier than usual, and various unseated Shinigami could be seen sprinting back and forth across the Sereitei frantically. Occasionally a loud yell would be heard when something was not done just right, but for the most part, the Sereitei was only filled with the level noises of your typical busy city.<p>

The still grass was disturbed when a pair of standard waraji***** shuffled across the ground. Dew sprayed up into the air, and a quiet 'tsk' noise escaped the lips of none other than Hitsugaya Leona, who tugged at her socks and glared in annoyance at the grass, clearly upset that the dew had now soaked straight through her white tabi*****.

"Just my luck," she muttered bitterly to herself, straightening up and placing her hands on her hips. A shift in the grass behind her alerted her to someone else's presence, and she turned to peer over her shoulder. "Byakuya?" she asked, though she had known since moments before that he was around- She couldn't miss that Reiatsu even if she tried.

"What are you complaining about, now?" he asked in his usual bored tone, coming to stand beside her in the grass.

Since her arrival in the Sereitei, Leona had made it her number one priority to find a new look- That is, new clothing. She had quickly discarded her white and blood-spattered leggings and shirt for a sleeveless and backless black haori, similar to the one that Captain Suì-Fēng had always worn. Despite being backless, the haori still managed to cover the large Alpha tattoo on her lower back, which refused to go away despite having had her Arrancar appearance taken from her by Aizen. Her standard black hakama shifted against the grass, nearly covering her waraji.

"None of your business, Kuchiki," she replied waspishly. Byakuya made a face. "Is it true the Captain Commander chewed you out for losing your Captain's haori back in Hueco Mundo?"

"I didn't _lose_ anything." he said swiftly, glaring in Leona's direction before continuing. "It was destroyed, what was the point in keeping it?"

"You called them cheap to the Captain Commander's face!" Leona hooted, barely restrained a loud chuckle as she spoke. "You're one ballsy noble, Byakuya, you know that?"

"Please don't describe me as ballsy, Leona," Byakuya said, frowning with distaste. "What an unladylike word." Leona simply rolled her eyes in reply. "Control that attitude, Hitsugaya, before I revoke my offer of Third Seat." As he spoke, Leona opened and closed her mouth with his words, and Byakuya frowned as he realized that she was mocking him. "... Leona..."

"Loosen up, Byakuya," she sighed, throwing her arms behind her head and gazing skyward. "Besides, I haven't accepted yet."

"You will." Byakuya replied with confidence. Leona snorted.

"I'm not too anxious to be below Renji for the rest of my days..." she said. After a brief pause, she smirked up in the direction of the Captain of the Sixth Division. "... That's what she said..." Now it was Byakuya's turn to roll his own pair of cold grey eyes, but all Leona did was laugh. After a few minute's silence, Leona finally seemed to sober up, her expression becoming more serious as she peered over to look at her walking companion. "... Have you seen Toshiro lately?" she muttered.

"I have not seen Captain Hitsugaya since yesterday afternoon," he replied curtly, though he could sense Leona's distress. "He will be fine, Leona."

"I know." she said stiffly, meeting Byakuya's eyes for a fleeting moment. "But it'll take time... I can't imagine how he must be feeling, running Hinamori straight through with his own sword."

"I think if anyone can imagine, it's you," Byakuya said quietly. Leona pursed her lips, nodding slowly as she thought about this. But Leona knew that her comfort and understanding was not what her brother needed just then. She knew that he would want to be training all on his own- Getting stronger all by himself. "You may want to go to Kurosaki's room. Rukia tells me that he is showing signs of waking soon." Leona nodded again, smiling up at Byakuya briefly before turning to run off in the opposite direction

Before she got very far, however, she stopped, turning to gaze at Byakuya's retreating back. "Oh, and Byakuya?" she called, smiling still wider as he turned to meet her eyes once again. "That Third Seat... I'll take it,"

Leona turned away once again, smiling as she trotted down the narrow streets of the Seiretei. Her almost shoulder-length red hair bounced around her face, tickling the base of her neck was she maneuvered through the middle of Soul Society. At last she stopped, glancing up at the roof of the building that she had stopped in front of before entering through the large double doors. After speaking to several frantic unseated Shinigami, at last Leona found herself following after a delicate, pure black swallowtail butterfly as it guided her through Dangai.

Before she knew it she found herself standing in front of Kurosaki Clinic. Her Hell Butterfly tickled her cheek as it passed by her, fluttering off into the distance before coming to rest on the very edge of the Kurosaki's roof. Leona pursed her lips, pushing open the doors to the clinic, not really noticing as Karin stared at her, eyes wide with surprise, as she passed through their kitchen. She bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time, eager to get to Ichigo before he finally woke up. Throwing open the door, she was met with four pairs of familiar eyes.

"Leona-chan!" Orihime said brightly, motioning her over with her hands. Over the last month, Leona had only seen Orihime a few times, as she had not been staying in the human world as frequently as she would have liked. She had opted instead to stay a little closer to home- A little closer to her brother. But the few days that she had spent in the human world were enough to allow her to become privy of Orihime's feelings towards her- Clearly, Tatsuki had told her about the kiss that Leona and Ichigo had shared just before Aizen had been captured.

"Hello," Leona said, walking across the floor quickly, finally coming to stand by the edge of Ichigo's bed next to Rukia, who smiled.

"Nii-sama gave you my message?"

"He did," Leona replied, but she stopped talking the moment Ichigo began to stir.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime breathed a sigh of relief as Ichigo sat up, clutching his chest. Leona's tense expression relaxed, a relieved smile stretching her features as the disoriented carrot top glanced around him, apparently surprised to see so many people surrounding him.

"A-are we in my room?" he gasped, and Leona nodded.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she laughed, and Ichigo smiled. At least this time, it seemed that she wasn't the one waking up disoriented. "You've been out for a month."

"A month?" he gasped, sitting up straighter. "That's right, my powers-!" At this, Leona's expression regressed, both she and Rukia exchanging knowing glances as Ishida stepped up to explain.

"Urahara told us everything. You've lost your Shinigami powers."

"Oh..." Ichigo muttered, pulling the covers off of him. "So you already know. Yeah, it seems so. Guess I'll have to resign, huh?" he joked. His bitter humor, however, was lost on the rest them.

"The first stage brings intense pain and loss of consciousness." Rukia began, her voice solemn as her eyes met Ichigo's. "And a reversal of the flow of time you experienced in Dangai."

"... So it wasn't you guys who cut his hair..." Leona whispered, her sad eyes now meeting Ichigo's for the first time in a month.

"That's when you lost your Shinigami powers." Rukia continued. "The second stage, your Reiatsu stabilizes and you awaken. And soon, your remaining Reiryoku will disappear, too."

"Yeah, I figured." Ichigo said softly.

"You don't seem surprised..." Leona said, and Ichigo turned his attention towards her yet again.

"No. I had a feeling it'd be something like that." Then his eyes darkened, and he reverted his gaze back to the floor. "... Can I go outside?"

Leona watched with carefully restrained sorrow as Ichigo stepped out of the clinic for the first time in a month. Orihime and the others remained close by the door as both Rukia and Leona followed after him, and somehow, Leona could already sense her presence fading from Ichigo's mind. He turned around, his eyes oddly calm for someone who was loosing a power that he had had almost his whole life. Rukia smiled kindly.

"I guess this is goodbye," she said. Leona's breath caught in her throat. "... Ichigo."

"Yeah, so it seems."

"Hey, no worries though, right?" Leona interjected, bravely putting on a lighthearted expression as a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "Even if you can't see us, we can see you." Ichigo froze, and Leona at last realized her slip up.

"... What?" Ichigo muttered slowly, his eyes widening with his words. Rukia's purplish eyes darted back and forth between the pair nervously, and she realized that she was coming dangerously close to getting caught in the middle of a lover's quarrel. "You... Leona, you're not staying here?" Leona lowered her eyes to the ground almost shamefully, biting her bottom lip and shaking her head in reply.

"No." she whispered softly. She blinked quickly, refusing to allow the hot tears to fall just now. Not here. Not while this was happening. "No, I can't, Ichigo. I just... I can't. My brother needs me... And there are thing-"

"You don't have to explain," Ichigo muttered, taking a step closer. Rukia backed up a little bit, giving the two a bit of room. "I get it... I guess I get it."

As Ichigo stared down at Leona's pained expression, her could already see both her and Rukia's bodies begin to fade. The black fabric of their Shinigami uniforms were whisked away in the soft breeze. Finally, Leona met his eyes, and he could clearly see the tears welling up within their cloudy depths.

"Ichigo... There's something..." she murmured, but Ichigo could already hear her voice fading. "Ichigo... What I wanted to tell you, back then," she continued, her cheeks flushing pink as she spoke. Ichigo reached up his hand, his fingertips drawing closer to her cheekbones as she leaned closer towards him. "Ichigo... Ichigo, I think I l... v... ou..."

"I'm sorry, Leona," Ichigo whispered, dropping his hand to his side, his fingertips still tingling from nearly touching her skin for the last time. Orihime's eyes softened from back beside the clinic doors, and Chad and Ishida exchanged glances as they watched their friend continue to speak to the now empty air.

"I can't hear you... Not anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>*Tsuzuri Raiden: Electric current flows through any object the user touches and is able to lead electricity, damaging any target that is in contact with the object the current runs through<strong>

**** Maou: "Hell" in Japanese.**

*****About the whole speech not being comprehended thing: This idea was taken from the fact that Aizen said "When I evolved a dimension above Shinigami it became impossible for humans and Shinigami to sense my Reiatsu unless I intentionally lowered it to something that they could comprehend". Much in the same way, Leona's fusion with both her Zanpakuto and the Hogyoku have made her so powerful that is literally warping her words with that power, making those less powerful unable to hear her words.**

***Waraji/*Tabi: Waraji are sandals made of straw rope, and tabi are standard high ankle socks. These are standard in the shinigami wardrobe in Bleach.**

**Sorry for the bittersweet ending to this arc, but I hope you liked the fight scenes with Aizen and the little scene in Soul Society. Look forward to the next few chapters, which are Fullbring-Arc oriented, and will be drawing this story to a close.**

**To Azulish: Yes, this story will continue for a few chapters past the Aizen Arc- But only a few. With Ichigo and Leona in entirely different places now, there wouldn't really be much of a point going through the ENTIRE Fullbring Arc until I get to where the manga is now. So I'll be breezing over the Fullbring Arc, where crazy stuff will happen that will finally allow me to bring this story to a close. Thanks so much for all your reviews and support!**

**To Lago: Thank you so much! I really enjoy getting long reviews like this one. And I'm sorry about any confusion with skipping over- It's partially my fault too, because I've always had a problem with using too many words to describe things! Thanks for always reviewing!**

**To animelover: Thanks so much, and also thanks for reviewing on The Dark Beat! I hope you'll keep up with that story, too, especially once this story is over!**


	56. Part 5: Welcome to Our Xcution

...

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_The king gallops, s__haking free from the shadow, b__eating the armor, k__icking about the bones, s__lurping the flesh and blood. __The creaking increases. __Smashing the heart, h__e walks in alone_ _toward the faraway other side__.__"_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Binda Blinda: Part 5<strong>_

_**The Fullbringers**_

* * *

><p>The glass around her shattered, spraying the pure white tile surrounding it with cold, murky water as the contents of the glass prison was emptied onto the floor of the abandoned laboratory.<p>

Coughing and spluttering, the girl lay naked on the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Slowly, very slowly, her senses came spiraling back to her body; The empty noise in her ears had now been replaced with a low humming, and blinking her eyes, she could now clearly see her surroundings. Her breathing picked back up, now completely even, and her heart rate picked up back to the normal rate.

Slowly, she sat up, glancing around the room in stoic confusion; It was empty. Judging from the silence, the rest of the building was empty, too. The girl shivered, reaching up and grabbing a white jacket that lay draped over a stool in front of the desk. She attempted to stand up, but failed several times. Her legs felt like limp noodles, and for the first three times she tried to stand up her efforts were rewarded with bruised knees as she fell to the hard floor once again. At last she stood up, though she was forced to slump over and use the desk to her right to support the weight of her body; It seemed to be too much of a hassle for her legs just now.

The girl wrapped the jacket closer to her body, though the single article of clothing barely came to mid thigh. Shivering still, she dragged her fingers through her sopping wet hair in a desperate attempt to rid it of tangles. Her short caramel locks were freezing cold, and she felt goosebumps erupt over her sensitive body as the freezing water dripped down her spine.

A moment later, her eyes fell on the files strewn over the tabletop. Her own face stared back from the topmost page within the open file, and she froze; Was this real? Something inside of her told her that there was something very important that she had to do, but it was like she was awaiting orders, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember what she was meant to do... What she had been _created_ to do.

Sifting through the papers, her hands still shaking, the girl at last pulled out yet another paper- This time, an unfamiliar but welcome face stared back at her. The girl's grey eyes looked up at her from the pure white paper, her blood red hair standing out drastically from the page. The girl's eyes moved back and forth, rapidly taking in the information typed on the page, as well as the notes in the margins, which were written in bright red ink. Then she picked up her own paper, the one with her picture, and read through that, as well. At last she was finished, folding the two pages and placing them in her jacket pocket. With a heavy sigh and yet another shiver, she steeled her body, readying herself to move.

"... Nee-chan..." Then the girl moved slowly towards the doorway, entering the empty halls of the once great Los Noches.

* * *

><p><strong>17 MONTHS<br>LATER.**

* * *

><p>"Are you retarded?"<p>

Hitsugaya Leona, Third Seat of Division Six of the Gotei Thirteen shot her best glare across the table, her eyes clearly displaying her annoyance as they fell on the red haired man across from her. The man's tattooed eyebrows knitted together in frustration as he grumbled something incoherent to himself, biting his knuckle thoughtfully as he stared down at the tabletop between them.

Currently, the redheads were engaged in a rather intense game of Shogi. Leona was quickly learning not to challenge her supervising officer to any games that required thinking whatsoever- He was not known for his logic and levelheadedness, after all. Flinging down the little wooden game piece that he held in his fingers, Renji growled in agitation, holding his head in his hands and glaring up from the game board and across the table at his Division's Third Seat.

"Damn you, Hitsugaya," he seethed, and Leona rolled her eyes. "Every fuckin' time, I swear!"

"Yeah, and never again." Leona retorted bitterly, clearing off the board and stowing the Shogi pieces back into their box. "This is ridiculous, how the hell are you a Lieutenant with such shitty logic?"

"What does that say about you, then?" Renji jeered, pointing at her in an accusatory manner. "_You're_ still Third Seat, and I'm way worse at this stuff than you." This didn't seem to faze the other redhead in the slightest, though she slammed the board game's box shut a little too loudly.

"You know that I'm no longer allowed to be in a position as high as a Lieutenant," she replied stiffly, pulling her shoulder length carmine hair back into a low side ponytail. "Essentially, I'm forever on probation."

"Yeah, whatever." Renji grumbled.

It had been a year and then some since the incident with Aizen. Renji often found it strange that Leona had settled down so quickly after such a trying ordeal- The Vizards still resided in the human world, after all, and many people had expected for the previously rogue Shinigami to do the same. But Leona had stayed, much to everyone's surprise, save for maybe Byakuya, who had obviously seen it coming. Although Leona would have to remain Third Seat for the rest of her career as a Shinigami, she seemed to be taking it rather well. But Leona was not quite as settled as everyone seemed to believe her to be- Division Six's Third Seat still made frequent visits to the human world, though she was fairly certain that not a soul, living or dead, knew about it.

She knew that it did not do to dwell on the past. But many things always brought her back to Kurosaki Clinic- Even, sometimes, to Ichigo's room. Love, regret, loneliness... Sometimes even anger. Anger that Ichigo felt his best option was to give up his ability to see her- To be _with_ her for the sake of others. But she knew that it was irrational to feel that way- She wasn't allowed to blame him.

She had nearly been caught skulking just outside of Kurosaki Clinic only once, and by none other than Kurosaki Karin, for that matter. But the dark haired girl had only caught a glimpse, and Leona was fairly confident that her personality would prevent her from saying much of anything to Ichigo about the chance encounter. Leona knew that she could get a Gigai and return to the human world at any time, but she seemed to think it best to remain in Soul Society. It was her home, after all, and everything important to her was there... Everything but Ichigo.

"Good morning, Nee-sama."

Turning to look over her shoulder, Leona's eyes fell on Toshiro, who was now standing behind both her and Renji, Rangiku by his side. Leona had to say, she was more than impressed with her brother's growth in the last year or so. Not only had he grown taller, but his hair looked better, and his skills as a Shinigami had improved tenfold, even for already being considered a child prodigy. He now wore a small white scarf around his neck and, although Leona didn't know what exactly it was supposed to achieve, she had to say it made him look a considerable amount older.

"And Lieutenant Abarai- How are you?"

"Your sister's a bitch." Renji deadpanned, jabbing his thumb in Leona's direction as he spoke.

Leona rolled her eyes, folding her arms and proceeding to elbow Renji roughly in the gut. Toshiro simply scowled, but Rangiku giggled to herself in the girlish way that Leona had come to expect from Division Ten's Lieutenant. Leona had been under Renji's strict supervision ever since she had accepted Captain Kuchiki's offer of Third Seat in his Division- It had been part of the compromise with the Captain Commander that if Hitsugaya Leona was once again to enter the Gotei Thirteen, not only could she not rise above Third Seat in any Division, but she also had to be under supervision at most times from her direct superior- Meaning Renji.

Despite this, the two had really not grown any more fond of each other, each simply developing a short lived sort of tolerance for one another. They bickered constantly, but at this point, most of the 'upper management' of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads seemed to have just learned to tune out the duo's incessant arguments.

"Lieutenant Abarai, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from calling my sister such things," Toshiro stated calmly, and Rangiku giggled yet again. Leona smiled, bending down slightly so that she was almost Toshiro's height- The siblings' height difference still managed to astonish those in the Seiretei- And ruffled his hair lovingly.

"Don't worry about me, Tou-chan, Lieutenant Abarai is too scared of me to say anything too mean," she comforted. Renji snorted-

"Where the hell'd you get that idea?"

Despite the faint pink tint that made its way onto the young Captain's face, he kept his voice level as he spoke. "_Tou-chan_?" he repeated, making a face and batting his sister's intrusive hand out of his hair. "I don't think so- It is Captain Hitsugaya." Leona frowned.

"But Tou-chan!" she said, almost whining in response. "It's been more than a year, and I'm your sis-"

"No."

Renji chuckled as Leona's face fell a considerable amount. Rangiku leaned in closer, taking in Leona's appearance, despite her having been around the Seiretei for more than a year, now.

"You know, that get up really does resemble Captain Suì-Fēng's," she observed, taking in Leona's sleeveless and backless haori, as well as her long black hakama. The only real difference was her red sash that she wore around her waist, which held her scabbarded Zanpakuto. "If you aren't careful, she'll think that you're copying her!" Leona simply shrugged.

"It's comfortable, so sue me."

"Oh, she _will_."

Renji let out a barking laugh, earning himself a rather hefty blow to his lower abdomen from his Third Seat, though she kept her face stoic as though nothing had happened. Toshiro simply grumbled something to himself, folding his arms as he walked past his sister.

"I came to say that we are going to breakfast," he said, doing his best to sound nonchalant. "You are welcome to join us if you wish." Leona chuckled to herself as she exchanged glances with Renji, who shrugged but then nodded in consent.

This had been much the way of things for the past seventeen months. And, when Leona finally had time to look back on it, she figured that she really should not have expected things to stay that way- She should have seen it coming.

* * *

><p>"Inoue, we really can't eat this much,"<p>

From the middle of the floor of Ichigo's room, Inoue Orihime fidgeted uncomfortably. Despite himself, Ichigo scowled, setting down the tray of tea between them before sitting on the floor across from her. If he was to be entirely honest with himself, he knew that Orihime had been acting strangely ever since Leona had all but vanished from his life. She talked to him more, now- He wasn't too sure what she meant by it, really.

It had been seventeen long month since both Rukia and Leona had returned to Soul Society. For obvious reasons, Ichigo had seen hide nor hair of them since then. But sometimes, he could swear that someone had been in his room. Occasionally he would wake up to find his clothes moved, or various trinkets and books left in odd places where he had no recollection of leaving them in the first place. Sometimes, he liked to think that Leona was being her usual creepy self and pulling the old break n' enter on the Kurosaki residence. He liked to think this was the case.

"O-oh, really?" Orihime stammered, blushing furiously and staring at the ground.

"Well, yeah." Ichigo replied, making a face before taking a piece of bread. "There's only the four of us, you know. I'll take it if you're giving it away... Why're you so fidgety?"

"I-I just didn't expect you to invite me in!" she exclaimed, glancing around his room frantically. Ichigo frowned- This wasn't the first time that Orihime had been in his room. When he voiced this thought, however, he was met with even more blushing and stammering than before. Finally giving up, Ichigo simply decided to let it alone. Orihime had always been a weird one, after all.

"Your boss gave these scraps to you, right?"

"They're not scraps, they're leftovers!" Orihime protested through a mouth full of bread. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Same thing," A short pause, and then Orihime set down her tea. Her flushed cheeks were now gone, and she looked Ichigo in the eyes seriously.

"Kurosaki-kun..." she began, searching his eyes for anything that might give her some clue as to what was going through his mind. "Did something happen recently?"

"Huh? No, why d'you ask?"

"J-just a feeling!" she stuttered, balling her hands into fists out of nervousness. "L-like a strange person following you... Things like that..." Ichigo's eyes saddened, then, and Orihime lapsed back into silence. For a moment, he kept his gaze fixed on the rim of his teacup, not speaking for several long minutes until, finally, he answered.

"... Sometimes... When I wake up, things have been moved."

"Kurosaki-kun, wh-"

"This morning, Hamlet was open on my floor... I haven't read that book in ages." he confessed, his eyes falling on the tattered old book, which he had by now replaced back on the bookshelf. Orihime looked puzzled, tilting her head slightly to the right and staring up at the ceiling.

"I didn't know you were interested in Shakespeare, Kurosaki-kun.*****"

Ichigo set down his teacup, not replying to Orihime, but simply staring at the leather bound book on his shelf. He did not wish to be entirely honest with Orihime- The fact that the book had been left out three nights in a row now had been left out of his confession. Each night, the mystery reader grew substantially closer to the end. He didn't often mention to people that he enjoyed reading Shakespeare. As a matter of fact, the only person who had ever really picked up on it was Leona, even though the two had never really discussed it.

Orihime left soon afterwards, leaving Ichigo to clean up the bread crumbs and teacups, though his mind was swirling with thoughts of various things. He often wondered why Leona hadn't stayed. The events of the day that Aizen was defeated were still seared into his mind almost too clear for comfort, and the thought that he would most likely never see the red haired girl again almost scared him... Almost. His eyes fell again onto the leather bindings of Hamlet, and he sighed heavily.

He _had_ been angry with her. And he was sure that Leona, at least part of her, anyways, was just as angry with him, even if her frustration was far less grounded than his was. He was sure that someone as hotheaded as Leona constantly questioned why he could not have come up with at least one other way to defeat Aizen- He was sure that she hated herself for thinking such things, but he knew that she would feel that way. At least part of her would. Just as part of him would always resent her for leaving him here.

Suddenly, his bitter thoughts were interrupted by a call from Orihime.

"K-kurosaki-kun... It's Ishida-san..."

* * *

><p>Leona walked swiftly through the streets of Karakura, not really caring as she passed easily through the oblivious living people surrounding her. She was here on business- Unofficial business, but still business. It was just her luck that she had gotten Abarai Renji as her supervising officer- After all, she had said it once, and she would say it again; The man was not one who was known for his logic and levelheadedness. In that field, Leona had him beat, and she had at last found another opening to get back to the world of the living.<p>

This time, however, she was not here to rifle through Ichigo's books, or stare at the stars, or share tea with Urahara and Yoruichi, although the latter might come later. She had not entirely made up her mind on the subject as of yet. She rounded the corner, keeping her fingers on the hilt of her Zanpakuto simply as a precaution- She was quickly finding herself in unfamiliar waters.

The people that she had noticed around Ichigo for the past several days were shady, to say the least. She had noticed them come around Kurosaki Clinic several times, but it wasn't until she had caught sight of someone familiar that she had begun to suspect anything out of the ordinary. The image of the caramel haired girl from Hueco Mundo was still burned into her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the girl had managed to escape Los Noches and still remain in her right mind. She certainly hadn't- This girl would not be different.

A flash of pink caught her eye as she darted across an alleyway to another rooftop, and she cursed her lack of stealth; The girl probably was already well aware by then that she had been tailing her. Leona had only seen this girl twice before then, and she still knew next to nothing about just who- Or what- She was involved with.

"Hey,"

The feminine voice came out of nowhere, stopping Leona in her tracks. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her Zanpakuto, and with a deep breath, she turned to face the girl who had spoken. Her long magenta hair flowed freely in the early evening breeze, and her defiant eyes, which matched her hair in color, met hers unblinkingly without even a hint of fear or apprehension- Just pure, unbridled curiosity.

"Hey," Leona replied, turning her entire body to face the girl who had appeared behind her. The girl frowned, staring Leona head to toe. At last she seemed satisfied, and she picked the conversation back up.

"Who the hell are you?" she said, not really seeming to care that this would have been considered rude had the situation been more normal. Leona smirked. It seemed that she and this girl would get along just fine.

"Hitsugaya Leona, Division Six, Third Seat."

"You say that as if it means something to me," the girl replied, and Leona snickered. After a pause, the girl continued. "Dokugamine Riruka."

"I'd say nice to meet you, but you're kind of a bitch."

"Same to you," Riruka replied, though she failed to conceal the heavy scowl that marred her forehead with worry lines. "You're not human." she stated blandly, though the revelation didn't seem to faze her much at all. Leona's smirk grew still wider.

"Neither are you," she said. "At least, not entirely... Not a normal one, anyways."

"Oh, gold star," Riruka replied sarcastically. "We have a winner." Leona rolled her eyes and removed her fingers from her Zanpakuto. "And you... You are a Shinigami."

"And circle gets the square," Leona replied swiftly.

"You were just dying to use that one, weren't you?" Riruka retorted, and now she was sporting a sneer that rivaled Leona's. "It pisses me off when people over prepare like that."

"It pisses me off when people dye their hair weird colors," For a moment, Leona thought that she may have gone too far. But it seemed that the pink haired woman opposite her was far more resilient than she gave her credit for.

"Well played." Riruka said at last, stepping down from the edge of the building to move closer to Leona. Neither one of the women seemed to be afraid of the other, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was a simple bond achieved only because they were both powerful women, and each could sense that power in the other. Neither seemed too sure, but they didn't question it, either. "So, what do you want, Leona-san?"

"I have a proposition, Riruka-san." Leona replied stiffly, folding her arms across her chest. "... More like a request, actually."

Riruka raised her eyebrows, mirroring Leona's movements as she, too, crossed her arms over her chest. "And why should I listen?" At this, Leona smirked still wider.

"Survival of the fittest."

Riruka's eyes widened, and she froze, her attention officially caught.

"... I'm listening."

* * *

><p>"... I do not think he's coming."<p>

The clear voice broke through the almost tangible tension within the base of Xcution. A blonde boy, who sat on top of a table with his feet propped in a chair, peeped out at the voice's owner from under the brim of his hat. He said nothing, however, and once again turned his attention to the game.

"He's coming, Kanna," said another voice, this time from the couch. The caramel haired girl, who was perched rather precariously on the marble countertop of the bar, turned to face the dark haired girl on the leather sofa who had spoken.

"Kugo-san said eight," she replied calmly, her voice seeming to be naturally monotonous. "It is now quarter past." The other woman snorted, and the caramel haired girl called Kanna narrowed her eyes. "I don't appreciate that, Jackie,"

"You're new, so I'll make this clear now," Jackie replied, her dark eyes trained on the girl on top of the bar. "Don't talk back to me. I don't like it."

Kanna's eyes glittered maliciously, but she said nothing. The man directly behind her had stayed silent this entire time, instead choosing to put his energies toward cleaning out the glasses behind the bar with a pristinely white rag. Kanna listened closely, the corners of her lips picking up fondly when she realized that the man was humming quietly to himself. At long last, the door opened, revealing their leader, Kugo. Kanna had always said that all of Kugo's expressions looked rather creepy, but that did not seem to faze the Xcution member much at all, and Kanna made a face as she made eye contact with him, not at all caring for the horrible look that his face now wore.

The boy in front of him was an entirely different matter. Kanna's eyes narrowed, falling on the orange haired boy in front of Kugo with mild interest. He was tall, lean and muscular- But still, nothing special. Kanna's almost bitter thoughts then turned to his mistrustful eyes, which darted around the room so swiftly that the other Xcution members may not have even caught it.

"Why's this place so huge?" the orange haired boy asked as Kugo stepped through the door behind him.

"We knocked out five rooms on the left and right, and three floors above and below." he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Kugo stopped walking, then, his eyes traveling around the room to quickly count the members present. "One of our members has a little money." Kanna rolled her eyes- With powers like theirs, when used correctly, they probably could have even forgone using money on something like that. 'Bringing' rock or cement was not difficult, after all. "Now, before we get down to business, I want to tell you about our goal."

"Your goal?" the boy repeated, arching an eyebrow curiously as he spoke. Kugo nodded.

"Yeah," Kugo replied, his voice gravely and deep. "The reason we approached you... Is to help you get your Shinigami powers back." The boy's eyes widened, and Kanna couldn't help but to smirk, bringing her knees up to allow her elbows to rest on them before holding up a single hand in a greeting gesture.

"My name is Kanna," she said, her voice cold and calculating almost to the point where it sent chills through the room. Ichigo's eyes fell briefly on the exposed palm of her hand, where a brilliant black tattoo of the sign of Omega** stood out clearly against her pale skin. "Congratulations. And welcome to Xcution."

* * *

><p><strong>*It actually does say at the very end of the first chapter of Bleach that Ichigo looks up to Shakespeare. It's in the character profiles.<strong>

**** THIS IS THE SIGN FOR OMEGA, just in case anyone was curious: Ω. Omega (the last letter of the Greek alphabet) is often used to denote the last, the end, or the ultimate limit of a set, in contrast to Alpha the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the New Testament book of Revelation, God is declared to be the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last". This will become relevant in later chapters!**

**In this chapter, I tried to progress it as far into the Fullbring Arc as I could without it moving too fast. I hope I did okay with that- If I start moving too fast tell me, seriously, so I can fix it. **

**Anyways, it starts out lightheartedly, mostly just summing up key characters' feelings on prior events, as well as giving a little insight to the mystery character that's been so illusive throughout the previous arc. But then it takes a little turn when it reaches the point where Ishida is attacked by Tsukishima. Soon after, Leona seeks out Riruka (one of my favorite characters), and we see a little bit of witty banter between the two. I hope I succeeded in capturing Riruka's vain yet unruly attitude, as I'd hate to screw up one of my favorite characters.**

**Now, I'm going to say this again, and I apologize, because I know it's getting old: PLEASE, please review. I must say, I had been hoping very much for 200+ reviews by the end, as many rival OC stories have 300+, but it appears that such a thing will not be happening, since at most there will be 6-10 more chapters and I haven't even reached 170 yet! All I can say is thanks to everyone who has and continues to review, and I sincerely hope that anyone who reads my story reviews themselves, especially those with con-crit to offer!**

**Let me know what you think, and thanks for the reviews on last chapter!**


	57. Part 5: Nikuman and the Dollhouse

...

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_It creaks, it creaks; The tower of cleansed sins,_ _like the light, it will pass through this world._ _It shakes, it shakes; The tower in our spine,_ _the one that will fall will be... us? Or the sky?__"_

* * *

><p>Riruka walked swiftly along the sidewalk, the heels of her thigh high boots clicking loudly against the concrete as she picked up her pace. Despite herself, Riruka couldn't help but feel a little nervous. There were absolutely no guarantees when it came to the deal that she had struck with the mysterious Shinigami Hitsugaya Leona. After their meeting the night before, Riruka had quickly found herself glancing over her shoulder, the strange woman's face seeming to have caused a constant plague of paranoia in her mind. Riruak knew that she had many reasons to not trust the woman, but the pink haired girl didn't like to think about just what would happen to her if she didn't go along with the plan- After all, if what Leona said was correct, the repercussions of <em>not<em> trusting her word seemed to greatly outweigh those of doing so.

"I don't believe this!" Riruka sighed, throwing her hands up in the air as she rounded the corner. The man behind her grunted, and Riruka frowned. "The nerve, sleeping in a place like that!"

"... Sorry," Chad replied, his facial expression remaining unchanged as he spoke.

"Oh, don't give me that 'sorry' crap!" she retorted angrily. "I had to come look for you, think about how I feel! And, now that I think about it, why did Ginjo make _me_ look for you? He shoulda' done it!"

Chad could see that Riruka was on edge. He had not known the magenta haired woman for very long, but he was well aware that she was as strong willed as she was loud. Despite this, he could sense that something was off with her. If possible, her speech was even more acerbic than usual, but he didn't think that she realized that she was doing anything at all. If anything, she was speaking at least five times more than usual- Speaking was not unusual for her, as she could often carry on a very dynamic one-sided conversation. But that's not what had Chad suspicious. Something was just... _Off._

"Wait just a minute! How about you say something?" she scolded, turning to peer back at Chad over her shoulder. "It's your fault I'm in such a bad mood! I know you're thinking something, so say!"

"... Well..." Chad began. He briefly considered asking her if something was wrong- Something was clearly up with her. "... I was just thinking that you are very good at carrying on by yoursel-" His words were cut off with a rough blow to the head, courtesy of Riruka. Turning away from him again and leaving him to nurse the hefty bump on his head, Riruka turned on her heel to approach the familiar building, which served as a base for Xcution. Without another word, the girl kicked open the door.

"I'm back!" she said loudly, blocking Chad from entering the doorway with her arms.

"... Riruka..." Kanna muttered, her eyes moving to look in her direction. Riruka flinched, her eyes meeting Kanna's briefly before turning away. She no longer felt comfortable around Xcution's newest member.

"You're back sooner than I'd thought. Did you find him?" It was Ginjo who had spoken, this time.

"Yeah, I found him!" she replied, frowning as if the question offended her. "Hey, that shiny thing's a sword, right? Why'd you bring that thing out, stupid? And it's dark! Turn on the lights, I can't see!"

"... You could put on your glasses," Ginjo suggested. To this, Riruka rolled her eyes.

"I will not," she replied stonily, folding her arms. "And contacts dry out my eyes."

"... Who's that?" Riruka froze, not recognizing the voice at all.

"That is Dokugamine Riruka," Ginjo replied, casting an amused glance in Riruka's direction. "She's one of us."

"What? Who's that over there?" Riruka asked, leaning forwards in an attempt to get a better look. From what Leona had told her about the situation, and what she already knew from Xcution, it was most likely Kurosaki Ichigo, but she didn't stop trying to get a better look.

"I'll introduce him later," Ginjo said. "Now bring him in."

"The hell... Acting like you're the boss," Riruka muttered bitterly. She had often had troubles with people ordering her around- It just didn't sit well with her. Perhaps that was why Leona had chosen to approach her, first. Riruka briefly considered this as she turned towards the door; Maybe Leona already knew that she wasn't in Xcution out of loyalty to Ginjo. "Hey!" she called, now facing the door. "Why the hell are you still out there, get in here!"

The reaction from the mystery person the moment that Chad entered the building only reassured Riruka further that it was indeed Kurosaki Ichigo. A surprised gasp escaped the person's lips as Chad passed through the doorway, and even Chad's eyes widened as he stepped into the Xcution base. Riruka sighed and rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips and taking a deep breath to calm her nerves as Chad and Ichigo were once more reunited.

She had been on edge ever since her strange meeting with Hitsugaya Leona- Not that the girl was someone who seemed like a threat to her, but the information that she had confided in her was what really worried her. As nonchalantly as possible, Riruka cast her magenta eyes in the direction of Kanna. She had not known Kanna for too long, since she had only joined Xcution mere months before Chad had teamed up with them. Despite this, Riruka thought it safe to wager that, collectively, Xcution knew less about Kanna than they did about the silent giant Chad, if that was even possible. The two of them were both so quiet that it was almost a close tie.

"Huh," Riruka said, folding her arms and appraising the situation that was still playing out before her. "I didn't know these two knew each other." The rest of the group stayed silent, and Riruka frowned. "Hey, Ginjo, did you know that?" Ginjo continued to stay silent. "Don't tell me I'm the only one who didn't know!" Riruka whipped her head towards the bar, where Jackie and Kanna were busy mixing drinks with Giriko.

"Get Chad a drink, too," Ginjo called from down the bar, and Kanna nodded in reply. Riruka's frown deepened.

"Don't ignore me, you ass!" When Riruka received no reply, she turned her attention instead to the still-mysterious person on the couch. "When you say Ichigo, Chad, d'you mean Kurosaki Ichigo? Let me see his face!"

"Later," Ginjo replied, and Riruka instantly jerked out of his grip when she felt his hands grip her shoulders. "You stay there."

"Why?" she persisted, a barely concealed growl audible in her voice. Ginjo frowned but chose to overlook it, though Riruka did not miss the disapproving glance from Kanna, who was still perched precariously on the bar next to Jackie. Riruka muttered something inaudible to herself, tuning out most of what Ginjo was saying and going to the bar herself to stir in her own juice, so to speak.

As Ginjo conversed with Ichigo further, Riruka somehow found herself overly aware of Kanna. The girl had never unnerved her before- And, despite the gravity of the information that Leona had confided in her, she had not expected for it to affect her so dramatically. In the background Riruka was barely aware of Ginjo saying something about why Hollows had holes in their chests, but she couldn't focus on that now. Instead, her eyes were discretely locked on Kanna, who's sky blue eyes were glittering with what almost looked like apprehension as she stared into space. Riruka contorted her face- What was going through that girl's head right then? If what Leona said turned out to be true, Riruka could guess that it couldn't be anything good.

"... Alright..." Ichigo's voice broke through Riruka's musings, and she was suddenly pulled forcefully back to reality. "I'll help you."

"Then it's settled." Ginjo said, his usual smirk stretching his features once again. For several long minutes all was silent. Riruka glanced around to each one of Xcution's members, wondering who would break the ice. Her prediction hit the nail right on the head.

"Thank goodness!" Jackie exclaimed, stepping away from the bar and putting her hands on her hips. "I thought for sure you were going to refuse!"

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," Kanna murmured, and Riruka's eyes flashed towards her in an instant. Now that she thought of it, none of them had ever seen Kanna use her Fullbring- Not even Leona seemed to know what it was. Riruka shivered; All she could do was wait to find out what horrible power that girl had.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Riruka yelled, jumping out of her chair and stepping in front of the couch. "You all are gonna just trust him- Just like that? I'll be the one to decide whether or not he's trustworthy!" In that moment, Riruka clicked the button on a flashlight, shining it directly onto Ichigo's face. She paused- And then her jaw hit the floor. Leona hadn't been lying when she had said all those things about Kurosaki Ichigo being attractive. "Holy shit, she wasn't kidding! He's hot!" Riruka gasped and covered her lips- She'd slipped up.

"Who wasn't kidding?" Ichigo asked. Clearly his curiosity had overridden the initial awkwardness of the situation, and he was now staring Riruka dead in the eyes. The pink haired girl froze, thinking fast. "... Who?"

"Kanna said it!" she blurted, pointing an accusatory finger in the stoic girl's direction.

"I said no such thing," Kanna replied bluntly. Riruka frowned.

"... That's just rude." she muttered. Kanna, however, seemed unfazed by this. A stern glare was now set on her face, her sharp eyes directed straight at Kurosaki Ichigo. Riruka flushed crimson- There was no way that she would ever live this down.

* * *

><p>The crescent moon cast eerie shadows along the street as Ichigo walked slowly back from the Xcution headquarters. He had to admit to himself, it hadn't gone at all how he had expected it to. All they really were was a ragtag gang of delinquents with Hollow powers. The women of the group seemed especially strange to him, as well. Not only was there Jackie, the tall girl who's audacity rivaled that of the girl with pink hair, but there was also the silent one- Kanna. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about Kanna struck Ichigo as oddly familiar. And perhaps it was just him, but the girl who called herself Riruka did not seem entirely comfortable around the auburn haired Fullbringer- Maybe he was imagining things, but even when everyone else seemed so relaxed around her, the pink haired girl absolutely refused to be near her. Ichigo's eyebrows scrunched together in the center of his forehead as he glared down at the sidewalk. How had they even found him? He could only wonder.<p>

Grey eyes followed Ichigo's movements as he made his way towards her, kicking a small pebble along in front of him as he shambled tiredly down the sidewalk. Leona peered out at him almost shyly from beneath her long lashes, even though she knew all too well that the former Substitute Shinigami could no longer touch her... Speak to her... See her, even. Her shoulder length carmine locks shifted in the cool midnight breeze, and her cloudy eyes softened as the orange haired boy drew ever closer.

Suddenly, he stopped, and Leona froze. Ichigo's brown eyes turned upwards from the sidewalk, glancing around swiftly before he straightened his back and took a good look around. Leona took a step closer, her waraji sandals scuffing against the concrete. The street was so silent that Leona could almost hear Ichigo's heart beating. Slowly, very slowly, she reached out her hand towards the boy that she had left. Her eyes softened and her expression fell as her fingertips passed straight through Ichigo's chest, and she retracted her hand almost instantly, drawing it near to her own chest before looking up to see Ichigo's face. He was also looking down at his chest, as if he had felt her pass through him.

"... Leona..." he whispered, his eyelids fluttering closed as he spoke. Leona's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her eyes begin to sting and prickle as hot tears welled up inside them.

"... Ichigo," she replied, though she knew that he could not hear her. Leona shut her eyes, also, leaning in closer to Ichigo so that her cheek was almost touching his shoulder, and she smiled. It was a soft, sad smile, like she knew that this may be the best that they would ever have. "Ichigo, I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>"There's definitely something fishy about her!"<p>

The early morning sun filtered through the white clouds that dotted the sky, making it seem later than it really was. Riruka's sharp, suspicious eyes gazed out over the small river, which ran through the valley in between the streets of Karakura Town. She was sure that, to normal people at least, she must look very strange. After all, here she was eating Nikuman*** **by the stream with a Shinigami. To your average Karakura citizen, it probably looked as though she were eating by herself.

"I know," Leona replied, biting into her own Nikuman with vigor. "How did you not notice it sooner?"

"Oh, I did." Riruka replied matter-of-factly. "When we first met she kept wanting to shake everyone's hands. I just steered clear of her creepy little spider fingers,"

"Good call," Leona said, nodding in approval. Riruka snorted.

"That better not be making fun of me." she retorted through a mouth full of Nikuman. "I'm goin' out on a limb, here. Helping you and all."

"You said it yourself. You're not in the group out of obligation or loyalty, right?"

Riruka choked on her food, coughing loudly for several seconds before she was finally able to speak again. She glanced up at the redhead beside of her, eyes still watering from coughing.

"How long have you been stalking us for?" she gasped out, her throat still scratchy from coughing. Leona shrugged, taking a bite out of her Nikuman before replying to her question.

"The last few months." she said finally, and Riruka could only raise her eyebrows as she counted the months on her fingers. "It was only after I went back to Las Noches to take a look around that I started to really suspect something about that girl."

"Kanna." Riruka said. "And what's Las Noches?"

"... It's kind of a long story." she murmured, taking another bite of her food. Riruka watched the Shinigami carefully, taking in her movements with interest. It wasn't often that she came across Gods of Death, and she had to say that this woman was by far the most curious. After several more minutes of staring at the redhead, Riruka spoke again.

"So what's the deal with you and the hot carrot-top?"

Now it was Leona's turn to choke on her food, and Riruka couldn't help but smirk as she hacked and coughed from her place beside the stream. The red head beat her chest with her fist, attempting to dislodge whatever food was now caught in her throat. Gasping for air, Leona turned towards her magenta haired companion, her grey eyes wide with confusion an surprise.

"E-excuse me?" she coughed, and Riruka's smirk grew still wider.

"Well, the other day you described him as 'gorgeous', then he was suspicious when I said 'she was right'," Riruka recounted, ticking off her fingers slowly as she spoke. "Then when I said something about it, you choked on your Nikuman, which was gross but totally worth watching." Leona frowned, throwing down her breakfast on the grass and folding her arms angrily. "So what's the story there?"

"It's another long one," Leona replied, her eyes softening sadly as she stared up towards the street. Riruka followed her gaze, watching curiously as a dark haired girl walked along the sidewalk above the bank of the stream. As Riruka watched, she couldn't help but let her eyes widen as the girl stopped walking, turned, and stared straight at Leona, who smiled and waved. "That's Ichigo's younger sister." Leona explained, noticing Riruka's wide eyes.

"She sees spirits, too?"

"Not 'too'," Leona replied. "Ichigo can't see me..."

"Ah... Right," Riruka muttered, frowning as Leona's face fell. The pair lapsed into a heavy silence for the next few minutes, and Riruka couldn't help but shift uncomfortably under the tension. Suddenly she jumped, breaking the silence with a high pitched 'oh!', causing Leona to also jump with surprise. "Shit! I gotta go, Ginjo said we were doing something important with Ichigo today!" Leona rolled her eyes and grabbed another Nikuman.

"Leave it to you to forget something important."

"Shut up!" Riruka called, grabbing the dollhouse on her left and scrambling back up the riverbank. "You're welcome you stupid Shinigami bitch!" she yelled back, earning several strange looks from various passersby. Leona simply gave her a casual flip of the finger before going back to eating.

Riruka walked briskly down the sidewalk, ignoring the various gazes she got when people realized that she was indeed carrying a miniature dollhouse in her hands. The heels of her boots clicked steadily on the concrete as she walked, her pink eyes darting from building to building until she once again saw the familiar streets that surrounded the base of Xcution. With a huff and a frown, Riruka marched straight up the stairs, stopping just outside of the door.

"I'm gonna do something to get my Shinigami powers back, right?" Riruka's ears perked up at the familiar voice of Kursaki Ichigo. "I totally thought I'd be doing some intense training in a big room somewhere, though." At this, Riruka promptly kicked open the door in one swift motion.

"Oh, you're gonna!" she exclaimed, all eyes on her as she appeared int he doorway, dollhouse in hand and usual sassy frown in place. She was greeted with Ginjo's usual expression and Ichigo's scowling face. "You're gonna be doing some training in a big room somewhere!"

"How come you show up late every time?" Ichigo asked. Riruka bristled, but she resisted saying anything along the lines of 'just hanging out with that Shinigami girlfriend you can't see anymore', and instead settled for something a little less suspicious.

"Don't be dumb! I'm late 'cause I've got stuff to do!" she replied angrily, placing her dollhouse carefully on a table to her left. "Besides, you just got here, didn't you?" Ichigo scowled, digging his fists into his pockets as he glared at the pink haired girl.

"... Riruka-san," Riruka froze, both her and Ichigo's gazes turning towards the pale girl who had just appeared in the room, along with Jackie and Yukio. Riruka's frown deepened, but she said nothing. "Why don't you just explain? Kurosaki-san, the training grounds where you will be training are right there," she said softly, lifting a single spidery finger and pointing it directly at Riruka's dollhouse. A small smirk tugged on the corners of her lips, and Riruka couldn't help but shiver. "Tell him, Riruka-san." Riruka sighed, sauntering back over to her dollhouse and placing her hair lovingly on its roof, blushing slightly under Ichigo's intense gaze.

"That's right. My Fullbring is called _Dollhouse_, and this is where you will be training today."

* * *

><p><strong>*Nikuman: a Japanese food made from flour dough, and filled with cooked ground pork or other ingredients. It is a kind of <strong>chūka man (<strong>Chinese-style steamed bun) similar to the Chinese _baozi_, also known in English as **pork buns**.**

**Now, I know that not too much intense stuff happens in this chapter, but I'd like to pace myself and not take things too fast, you know? Just a few various scenes that help explain what is going on a little more- Hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think, and a huge thank you to all of you that have reviewed so far!**

**To Azulish: No, that isn't her Fullbring power, but now that you mention it, I'm almost regretting that I didn't think of it sooner! Thanks for all of your reviews!**


	58. Part 5: Not Be a Drug

...

* * *

><p><em>"Your shadow stealthily <em>_leaves nothing of where you go, like a poisoned needle __that sews together my footsteps. __Your light pliantly __strikes the water tower, like a lightning bolt __that severs the source of my life."_

* * *

><p>It was late afternoon, the deep orange sun glittering low in the sky as Leona walked across the wooden pathways that connected the buildings of the Sixth Division. Things in the human world had taken a little longer than expected; Although she had only been with Riruka for a little over half an hour, she had checked up on and followed Kanna after she had left the Xcution base. She had done nothing suspicious, although she had had a brief conversation with a tall man in suspenders on her walk back to her house. Leona had never seen the man before, but she intended to ask Riruka about him the very next chance she got. But at the moment, she needed to deal with the situation at hand- No doubt by now Renji had realized that she had breached protocol and returned to the human world.<p>

The soles of her straw waraji scuffed against the wooden panels, and she sighed as Renji's Reiatsu appeared a few feet ahead of her. Running her fingertips through her hair, Leona braced herself, only to be surprised when the fist of the furious redhead made heavy contact with the top of her head.

"Hey- Renji, what the hell!" she yelled, cringing as she held the top of her skull. "What was that for?"

"Thought you could take off because I fell asleep, huh?"

"No," she replied, straightening up and glowering at the Lieutenant of the Sixth Division. "I thought I could take off because you take like an hour and a half in the bathroom." This time it was Renji's turn to glower. "Seriously, what do you do in there?"

"That- You... That's not the problem here," Renji stammered, grabbing Leona's wrist and pulling her along behind him. Leoan rolled her eyes, trotting along behind him obediently as he pulled her into Byakuya's quarters. The stoic Captain of the Sixth Division sat behind a long wooden desk, his cloudy grey eyes coming up to meet Leona's slowly as soon as Renji slammed the door shut behind him. Leona frowned- It couldn't possibly that big of a deal.

"Renji..." Byakuya said slowly, lacing his fingers together to stare at his two red haired subordinates. "Leona... May I ask to what do I owe this visit?"

"Hitsugaya broke protocol," Renji said quickly, glaring over at Leona, who simply glared back with just as much anger. "She visited the world of the living."

"And Hueco Mundo." Leona added, shrugging nonchalantly. Renji blanched, glaring over at her once more. Byakuya looked calm, but deep within his eyes Leona could see something that almost looked like anger, or perhaps carefully guarded frustration.

"... Hitsugaya Leona," Byakuya began, standing up slowly from his seat. "Explain." In that simple word, Leona could feel more power in that single word than in any attack that he had ever directed towards her. She had to admit, Kuchiki Byakuya was indeed one of the most powerful people that she had ever known.

"Captain Kuchiki," she began, stepping forwards. Renji continued to hold her upper arm, which she shook off quickly, shooting a quick glance his way before stepping up to Byakuya's desks. "I'm aware that I breached protocol- But I was doing so to gain information." Byakuya paused, blinking slowly as if to calm himself.

"... Continue."

"It's about the situation with Kurosaki Ichigo," she continued, ignoring Renji's incessant glaring from behind her. "He's joined some sort of... Organization. Do you know what Fullbringers are?"

"We have heard of them, yes."

"Really?" she replied, eyebrows raising slightly. "Am I seriously the only person who didn't know about them?"

"You were in a coma for more than one hundred years," Byakuya said, speaking in his usual monotonous tone of voice. "It stands to reason that you would be out of the loop on these sorts of things." Leona rolled her eyes. "But what does this have to do with you breaching protocol?"

"We need to hurry it up with this project of Urahara's," she said, her tone serious as she placed her fingertips carefully onto Byakuya's desktop. "During my time in Hueco Mundo, Aizen introduced me to a certain girl- An experiment. That girl is with Ichigo, right now." Byakuya arched his eyebrows, stepping out from behind his desk to stand next to Leona. "I don't know what she can do. All of the key documents on her powers were missing when I went back to Hueco Mundo."

"What have you been doing in the world of the living, Leona?" Byakuya said, apparently disregarding everything that Leona had just explained.

"I have an insider with the group of Fullbringers that Ichigo is currently affiliated with." she murmured. Grey eyes met grey for several long, silent minutes, and Leona could now sense that Renji was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable. "She can tell me if anything goes wrong- Progress Ichigo is making with his powers, or anything like that... That's what I've been doing." Byakuya nodded slowly, drinking in the new information that his Third Seat had just presented to him. Renji fidgeted from his place in front of the door, and Leona held her breath.

"... For obvious reasons, Lieutenant Abarai, we will need to keep this information between the three of us." Byakuya said at last, and Renji grumbled inaudibly under his breath. "It cannot be known that Leona has been making visits to the human world. Nor can it be known that she is continuing to do so," Leona sighed in relief as Renji spluttered angrily. "I do not want to here anymore on this subject." he continued, sitting down behind his desk once again. "Leona... Shouldn't you be getting back to whatever it was you were doing?" At this, Leona smiled. For such a stern guy, somehow the proud Kuchiki noble always had her back.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Orihime hummed quietly to herself as she skipped back to her apartment, schoolbag in hand. Despite her humming, she was becoming increasingly more worried with each step that she took. After all, Ichigo had been acting strangely ever since the incident with Ishida and the mystery person who had attacked him. He no longer talked to her, and when he did, it was cryptic things about how he thought that Leona was reading his books. Orihime frowned, ceasing her humming as she stopped in front of the stairs leading up to her apartment.<p>

"Hey... Orihime..."

The walnut haired girl whipped around, eyes wide as she came face to face with Hitsugaya Leona. The sangria haired Shinigami smiled a soft smile, raising her hand up in an awkward sort of half wave. Orihime's eyes were still the size of saucers as she stared at the girl that she had thought had left their lives for good. Leona, however, looked completely unfazed by the sudden reunion, her eyes as calm as ever as she took a few steps closer towards Orihime.

"L-Leona-chan...?" Orihime stammered. "What... Does Kurosaki-kun know that you're here?"

"No, he doesn't."

"Well, you shoul-"

"Orihime, I came to talk to _you_, not Ichigo." Leona replied calmly, holding up a hand to silence the stammering brown eyed girl. "Ichigo hasn't told you what he's been doing... Has he?" Orihime paused, then blinked. Leona had hit the nail right on the head. "I didn't think so."

"Leona-chan... What do you know about Kurosaki-kun?"

"I came to warn you- Ichigo's been trying to get his powers back." Leona explained swiftly, following behind Orihime as she made her way up the stairs. Orihime made a face, glancing over her shoulder, clearly confused by this choice of words. "What I mean is that the people he's gotten involved with are... Suspicious."

"Suspicious? How so?" Orihime asked calmly, taking keys out of her bag. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you and Ichigo are friends." Leona replied, leaning up against the wall as she spoke. "If he's involved with something like this, he could drag you into it, too, even if he doesn't mean to." Orihime lowered her eyes and smiled sadly.

"I... I'd like to help if-"

"Don't, Orihime," Leona said, holding up a hand to silence her words. "I'm trying to help. I know that you care about Ichigo, but if you get involved, you may do more to get in Ichigo's way than help," Orihime's eyes flared with anger, and she whirled around to face the redhead.

"Leona-chan, if you just came here to insult me, then-"

"Orihime, don't be like thi-"

A noise to their right silenced the both of them in an instant. Leona paused, suddenly feeling an unfamiliar Reiatsu wash over her like lukewarm water. Orihime froze, her eyes widening as she followed Leona's gaze towards whoever it was who had appeared on her floor. Leona's breath hitched in her throat, suddenly realizing that another Reiatsu had just joined them- Someone was behind them, as well.

"Wh-who are you?" Orihime stuttered, gazing at the man on their right. Leona suddenly realized that she recognized him- It was the man that Kanna had been speaking to earlier. Her eyes narrowed; Did that mean that Kanna knew that she was onto her?

"Shuukuro Tsukishima," the dark haired man answered smoothly. Leona knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, eyeing the book that he held in his hands with vague apprehension. "You're-"

"Tsukishima-san!" The boy behind them was the one who had yelled, and Leona swiftly covered her ears, cringing and glaring at the boy behind her. "There's no reason for you to come all the way out here! I'll take care of her!" he protested. Leona looked him over head to foot- She had to say, as far as appearances went, he was bar far one of the weirder looking people that she had come across. And she knew a Shinigami Captain that looked like a wolf. "There's no need for you to stain your hands!"

"... Yes..." Tsukishima answered calmly. Leona was suddenly feeling like this situation would end with her developing a horrible case of whiplash. Orihime flinched noticeably as the boy jumped in between her and Leona, glowering at the two of them in what Leona could only assume was supposed to be an act of intimidation.

"C'mon ladies! I'm gonna kill you!"

"... Shishigawara-kun..."

"What?"

"Go home,"

"What are you saying?" the boy protested loudly, and Leona covered her ears yet again. This was just getting ridiculous. "As your underling I cannot turn back here! I'm happy you care about me, but your reputation is more important to me than my life!" Before either Orihime or Leona could interfere with the situation, Tsukishima had snapped his book shut, his dark eyes now fixated on the boy with the mohawk.

"Let me ask you something, Shishigawara-kun," he began. Orihime shivered, and Leona reached for the hilt of her Zanpakuto. "I said that you didn't need to do anything... Didn't I?"

"Y-yes..." the boy stuttered, now looking as though he seriously regretted his previous display of loyalty. Leona's grey eyes darted in between Shishigawara and Tsukishima, the intensity in between the two of them now seriously starting to unnerve her. In one swift motion, Tsukishima swept the bookmark out of his book, keeping his face as stoic as possible.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I-I want to be useful to you," the boy replied, but Tsukishima didn't seem to care.

"Ah... I forgot what page I was on." he muttered, tapping the edge of his bookmark against his lips. "That's a problem. Hey, Shishigawara-kun, mind taking responsibility for this?" With a sudden burst of energy, Leona watched in awe as the normal-looking bookmark transformed into a long katana. The boy with the mohawk stammered briefly in protest, but Tsukishima didn't seem to notice.

"Is th-"

"That's not a Zanpakuto, is it?" Leona said, cutting Orihime off before she could finish her question. Tsukishima smirked, twirling the katana lazily over his fingers as he looked Leona from head to toe. Slowly, Leona withdrew Jairo from his sheath, pointing the tip of her dagger-like Zanpakuto directly at Tsukishima's chest. The atmosphere tensed, and Leona let out a slow breath. "It's the same as those people that Ichigo is with... It's a _Fullbring_, isn't it?" she observed, remembering everything that Riruka had told her about the organization called Xcution. Tsukishima smiled.

"You seem to know an awful lot for a Shinigami outsider."

"I'm not as much of an outsider as you might think," she replied cryptically. "_**Purify, Jairo!**_" The next moment, her small Zanpakuto had elongated to almost twice the size of Tsukishima's Fullbring. The stone spear was held in her fist, one end resting on the ground as she took a fighting stance.

"Oh?" Tsukishima murmured, regarding her Shikai with interest. "I didn't expect-"

"Enough talk!" Leona growled, lifting up her spear only to bring it crashing down once again, missing Tsukishima's head by mere inches. Managing to maneuver around the attack, Tsukishima parried the blow with his own katana, though his small attack didn't seem to faze Leona much at all. The pole of Leona's spear met with the blade of Tsukishima's katana, sparks flying at stone met metal. Pushing him away, Leona struck at him again, this time slicing through his arm with one of her spear's edges. Leona's eyes narrowed- Perhaps this man was not as strong as she had feared.

'_We probably won't even have to use_ Maou*****_ on him,_' Jairo said from inside of her mind. Leona smirked; This was much too easy. A second later, however, Tsukishima proved her wrong. In a flash he disappeared, leaving Leona standing alone in the middle of the hall just outside of the apartment next door to Orihime's- Then, she heard her shriek.

"Orihime!" she called, turning around to watch as Tsukishima's sword cut straight through Orihime's shoulder like it was butter. A lock of her long walnut hair fell to the ground as the blade cut through it, and Leona soon found herself unable to breathe. Orihime's brown eyes met her own as she fell to the ground. Leona's body was in shock- Even as Tsukishima and his underling fled the building, Leona couldn't move. Orihime gazed up at her from the doormat in front of her door; Leona blinked.

She was _fine._

"Which room is hers?"

"Four-oh-three!"

"It's this way!" Leona's eyes widened- It was Ichigo's voice. Without thinking, Leona ducked around the corner, crouching low to the ground. "The stairs are quicker than the elevator!" Adrenaline was rushing through her system faster than she could comprehend- She was barely even registering what had just happened. What _had_ just happened? She could have sworn that Tsukishima's sword had cut straight through her... So where the hell was the blood? "Inoue! Inoue, is that you? Inoue!"

"Ah! Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime chirped happily. From where Leona was crouched, she could see that she was still on the ground. Her eyes softened as they fell on the familiar orange-haired boy beside her, his concerned eyes all too familiar; Nostalgic, even. "And Sado-kun! Why are you here?"

"... Chad felt your Reiatsu acting weird..." Ichigo answered, his expression looking seriously confused.

"Are you okay?" Chad asked. "It wasn't a normal vibration... Are you okay, Inoue?"

"Eh? Really? N-nothing happened, though!" Orihime lied, almost too easily for Leona's comfort. She narrowed her eyes- Why wasn't she telling them the whole story.

_'For the same reason that you're hiding out behind the corner, I'd wager,'_ Jairo snapped from inside of her head. Leona rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him and continued to hide.

"That can't be..." Chad continued. "I felt another Reiatsu here until just a moment ago." Leona froze; She had forgotten to mask her Reiatsu earlier. Orihime laughed nervously.

"O-oh, that... It was a friend... Well, Leona-chan stopped by..." she confessed. Leona frowned. Damn that girl using her as an excuse- Just what one Earth was she up to? Upon hearing this, Ichigo froze, his brown eyes widening.

"What?" he said quickly, lowering himself so that he was now on eye level with Orihime. "Inoue, where is she? Where'd she go?"

"E-eh... Uh, I'm not too sure... She said there was something important..."

And then Ichigo was gone, running clear in the opposite direction, leaving Orihime and Chad alone in the hallway of Orihime's apartment complex. Leona sighed, standing up and watching as Jairo once again returned to his sealed form. She slowly tucked a lock of her blood red hair behind her ear, heading off in the opposite direction, taking the stairs two at a time... There was somewhere that she needed to be.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Leona-san!"<p>

The familiar voice of Urahara Kisuke greeted Leona's ears as she slid open the front door to Urahara Shop. A grown-up-looking Ururu met her eyes from her place at the kitchen table, and smiled up at her shyly, waving as enthusiastically as possible for a girl like Ururu. Leona smiled back as a greeting, though she continued to walk straight through the kitchen towards Urahara, who was sitting at a separate table with Ichigo's father. Leona froze.

"Oh... Hey, Ichigo's dad..." she said awkwardly, making a face and glancing around quickly.

"Call me Isshin," he said softly, meeting Leona's eyes briefly. "It's good to see you again, Hitsugaya-san."

"You can call me Leona," she replied, seating herself across from Urahara. Isshin groaned, knees cracking as he stood up from the table and walked off down the hallway. Leona sighed, resting her chin on her fists and propping her elbows up on the table as she did so. Urahara smiled.

"What's troubling you, Leona-san?"

"Nothing," she replied tiredly. "This is just all really ridiculous."

"I fail to see what is so ridiculous about wanting to get Kurosaki-san's powers back," Urahara replied, flapping his fan in front of his face in an almost flirtatious manner. Leona scrunched up her face in disgust before replying.

"Not that. Just all this Fullbring bullshit," she replied. "And Ichigo can't see me, and Orihime's lying, and then there's Kanna..."

"Yes, there certainly are very many things that can go wrong once we accomplish what we need to," Urahara replied thoughtfully. "What was that you said about Inoue-san?"

"There was this guy, and he attacked us... I could have sworn he cut her, but then there wasn't any blood... And then when Ichigo asked her about it, she lied."

Urahara nodded thoughtfully, his blonde head bobbing up and down as he took in this new information. It didn't seem to faze him that they had been attacked, but he took in the information calmly and processed it before continuing the conversation.

"So you saw Kurosaki-san?"

"No, I hid." Leona answered swiftly. Urahara frowned.

"That's a bit juvenile, wouldn't you agree?" Leona lowered her head shamefully. "Why do you hide from him?"

"... Because maybe it'd just be easier if I didn't see him before... You know..." Urahara paused, meeting Leona's stormy eyes with his own. Urahara was the only person that Leona had been entirely honest with when it came to the situation with Kanna. What she had discovered in Hueco Mundo had been clear enough, despite the lack of the most important documents. She had discussed it with Urahara, and the both of them had come to the same conclusion. They both knew exactly what had to be done. What _she_ had to do.

"I'm proud of you, Leona-san," Urahara murmured slowly, his voice now having lost its usually happy tone.

"It's been a long time coming," Leona replied solemnly, watching as Isshin returned and nodded seriously in their direction. "It was only a matter of time..."

"Perhaps." Urahara answered, and the two of them stood up together, turning towards the doors of Senkaimon, watching seriously as the doors parted and the bright light of Dangai shown through them. "But don't you think you owe it to yourself to settle things, first?"

"Settle what?"

"Everything." Urahara muttered, watching carefully as a familiar face stepped through the parted doors of Senkaimon. "Before it's all over." Leona lowered her eyes sadly, not paying much attention as their new ally stepped even closer. "I can give you a Gigai, if you'd like." he continued. Leona sighed, looking to her right as Ururu appeared at her shoulder. She smiled softly.

"Thank you, Urahara."

"It's only fair," Urahara muttered, following Isshin as he stepped into another room. "There's not much else any of us can do to thank you." Leona smiled still wider.

"... All of you have already done enough," she whispered, even though she knew Urahara had already stepped into another room and shut the door behind him.

"You all saved me... You saved my life... It's the least I can do..."

* * *

><p><strong>*Maou, meaning Hell in Japanese, is the Bankai special ability that Leona used to help defeat Aizen. It's pretty much her equivalent to Ichigo's Mugetsu, but she doesn't lose her powers when she uses it.<strong>

**In this chapter, I think I've progressed things pretty far, and I'm confident that I can finish this story in at least another 4 chapters! That's right, four! Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter- Every review counts, and it would be just the best if I could get to 200 before this story is over for good! Look out for the next chapter, and make sure to let me know your thoughts on this one.**

**IMPORTANT QUESTION: If I wrote a sort of... "Suggestive" scene between Ichigo and Leona in the next chapter, would you as readers/reviewers enjoy that or no? This is really important so let me know ASAP. NOTE: It would NOT be a lemon. Please let me know so I can get started on the next chapter!**


	59. Part 5: Be Different, Be Better

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><p><em>"There is no meaning in our world, neither is there any meaning in us, the ones who live in it. It is then meaningless for us, who are equally meaningless, to conceive the world in our thoughts, despite knowing there is no meaning to be found<em>_."_

* * *

><p>From the balcony of the Xcution hideout, Riruka scowled deeply. Things were not progressing as quickly as either she or Leona had initially anticipated- A fact that was now constantly plaguing the magenta haired girl's mind. Kanna had been AWOL for a solid six hours, now, and none of the other Xcution members had seen so much as hide or hair of her. Riruka fidgeted again, adjusting the hat on her head absently- She could only hope that Kanna had not figured out her little arrangement with Leona. God only knew what the girl would do if she found out. Riruka shivered.<p>

She was brought out of her panicked musings when a familiar Reiatsu washed over her, and she peered across the property to watch as none other than Chad stepped onto the path that lead towards the Xcution based. Frowning deeply, Riruka's eyes fell on a girl that she had not seen before- Her Reiatsu was strong, that much was certain. She sighed. Chad knew he wasn't supposed to bring people back to base randomly.

"Hey!" she called loudly, jumping down from the balcony and Bringing the concrete to make herself go farther. "Who's that girl?"

"She's Inoue," he answered slowly, and Riruka snickered.

"Oh, so _that's_ her!" she replied, landing elegantly only centimeters from Orihime's face. She frowned still deeper- She was prettier than this girl, right? Looking the girl head to toe, Riruka nodded, assuring herself that her conclusion was correct. Orihime jumped back a little, clearly not expecting to be greeted in such a way.

"H-hello!" she gasped. Riruka raised an eyebrow.

"Jittery little thing, aren't ya?" she muttered, narrowing her mascara covered eyes to peer up at Orihime's face, scrutinizing her every feature carefully. "Chad's told us about you. You heal other people's wounds, right...?" she mused, recalling not only Chad's brief description of the girl, but also what Leona had told her about Orihime. "What are you doing _here?_ It couldn't be Ichigo's training, could it?"

"Hey, Riruka..." Chad muttered, but Riruka ignored him.

"That's right," Orihime answered unblinkingly.

"I'm not sure you understand," Riruka said, straightening up and placing her hands daintily on her hips. "If you heal him, he's just gonna get all beat up again! As long as you keep healing him, Ichigo's gonna go through endless pain!" Riruka flinched as Orihime's eyes narrowed- She didn't like that. Not one bit.

"You're also worried about him, aren't you?" Riruka blanched, glowering in Orihime's direction as she pushed past her. "I understand. But I left those worries behind a long time ago. If Kurosaki-kun wants my help for something he wants, then I'll use my powers to help him no matter what it is."

"And what if he's hurt and even you can't fix it?"

"I'll never allow him to be hurt that way," Orihime answered seriously, glaring at Riruka before walking on. "No matter how hopelessly broke he is, I'll heal it all!"

Riruka stood stock-still, watching bitterly as Orihime and Chad walked away. Finally releasing her tongue from in between her teeth, Riruka caught her breath. There had been so many things she had wanted to say to her- Honestly, she didn't know who the girl thought she was, coming into someone else's hideout and then talking to them that way. And even though Leona had said nothing to disrespect Orihime in her many tales that she had reiterated to Riruka, the magenta haired girl had drawn her own conclusions about the large breasted teen.

"She sure talks big for a girl who always ends up getting saved..." she muttered to herself, folding her arms across her chest angrily while watching as Orihime and Chad entered the base.

"Talking to yourself again, Dokugamine-san?"

Riruka jumped, whipping around to face whoever had just spoke. Sure enough, none other than Kanna now stood directly behind her, her sky blue eyes fixated on her as though she were planning to attack. Riruka gulped- She was on to her already. Of that much, she was absolutely certain. She knew she was reporting to Leona. There was no other explanation for the way that she was looking at her.

"Just making new friends," Riruka replied finally, trying her best to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Nothing unusual."

"Yes," Kanna murmured, taking a step closer. "It seems that you have been making a lot of new friends lately." Riruka froze. Oh, she _definitely_ knew. Hardening her magenta eyes, Riruka steeled herself for verbal warfare; It was something that she had always been good at. Kanna, being her usual stoic self, didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Riruka answered, turning to face Kanna head on. The auburn haired girl smirked.

"Oh, no?" she replied, holding up her hands in mock confusion. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was sure you had been meeting with a Shinigami in secret." Riruka mimicked her movements, holding up her hands and smirking as she spoke.

"Oh, I will correct you, because you _are_ wrong." she said, pretending to pout a little as Kanna's gaze hardened. "Oh, no, does it make you sad that you were wrong? Bummer."

"Do not test me, Dokugamine-san."

"Too late," she replied, dropping her hands to her side and stepping closer to Kanna. Being the taller one, she leaned down so that she was now on eye level with her opponent. "I've tested you, and you _fail._" Kanna arched her eyebrows carefully. "You've got nothing- And I've got a shit-ton of stuff on you."

"Is that right?"

"That's right."

"Well, that's a pity." Kanna sighed. "You were different from the rest... I was considering letting you get off clean."

"Not different, _better_." Riruka corrected her, her trademark narcissism never failing, even during something like this. "And just so we're clear, I don't think I'd cut a deal with someone who's batshit insane."

"What makes you think that I am insane?"

"Oh, you know, just this _whole friggin' conversation_," Riruka replied, making a face. Everything Kanna said came off as crazy, and Riruka briefly wondered if Kanna could even hear what she was saying. She figured probably not, or she would make an effort to sound less insane. "Whenever you make your move, Kanna, I'll be ready."

"And why is that?" Kanna asked, taking a step closer so that the two were now nose to nose. "Because of your Shinigami friend? Even she doesn't know what I'm doing! And she'll be on my side before the end,"

"Is that right?"

"That's right."

The pair lapsed back into tense silence, ignoring the swelling Reiatsu wafting out of the Xcution base like a strong perfume. Riruka sighed, backing away from the shorter girl in front of her, her hands still set on her hips.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go grill a bitch about something," she said, cutting Kanna off before she could say anything else. "I figure that this _Orihime_ may be able to shed some light on a few things."

"She doesn't know anything," Kanna said quickly, and Riruka laughed.

"Not everything is about you, stupid." she chortled, turning on her heel and waving over her shoulder sassily as she retreated back towards the Xcution base. "After all, there are more players in this game than just you and me. Am I wrong?" Kanna paused, watching silently for a few moments as Riruka's boots clicked against the pavement. Then she lowered her eyes, glowering down at the cement before answering.

"... You're not wrong."

* * *

><p>Shutting the door to base behind her, Riruka let out a long, loud sigh. Her nerves were still tingling from her conversation with Kanna- The girl had all but admitted to being up to something. And that absolutely did not bode well for either her or Leona. All she could do was tell Leona what she had learned, and hope to whatever god was listening that she had a plan. She walked farther into the hallway of the building, stopping when she finally found Yukio, who was staring intently at his game. Grabbing a striped box from the table just to her right, Yukio met her eyes and nodded, and the next moment she found herself falling into his game.<p>

"Riruka-chan?"

Riruka flinched upon hearing the voice of her brand-new nemesis, Inoue Orihime. When had this girl gotten the impression that they were on good enough terms for her to call her 'chan'?

"What're you doing crouched on the floor?" Riruka asked, landing gracefully within the gamescape, the striped box still perched precariously in one hand Orihime laughed, starting to stand up.

"Um, there wasn't a wall or pillar or anywhere to sit, so..." Riruka 'tsk'ed in annoyance, rolling her eyes. For a girl who had previously acted so self assured, she was surprisingly meek right now.

"Not such hot stuff when you don't know what the hell's going on, huh?" Riruka grumbled, turning her face skyward to stare up into the endless black of Yukio's game. "Yukio! Gimme a table and a couple of chairs! Hurry it up, I'm gonna have my beauty snack!"

"Huh? He can do that?"

"I don't wanna," Yukio said, his face appearing up in the sky. Riruka scowled.

"Excuse me! I want to ask for a chair, too, please!" Orihime called. Yukio instantly complied, and Riruka's frown deepened, though she directed her glare at Orihime, who flinched underneath the intensity of her stare.

"You should ask nicely, like her," Yukio said, but Riruka simply glowered.

"Get outta here you little brat!" she growled, turning and stalking off towards Orihime's table. Setting down her box, she opened it to reveal several glazed donuts, the chocolate glaze shimmering in the dim light of Yukio's gamescape. No sooner had she chosen one to eat, however, she realized that Orihime was staring at them- Eyes wide, mouth open... Drool. Riruka scowled; It was certainly an unflattering expression. Grumbling to herself all the while, Riruka finally gave in, tossing a donut in Orihime's direction. Her reaction was much to enthusiastic for her liking.

"You're welcome," she muttered, taking a nibble of her own donut. "Be grateful and eat it bit by- Hey!" Riruka growled, slapping Orihime's hand away from her box of donuts. "Don't be greedy, you fatty, you ate it too fast! You only get one!" Orihime, however, responded to this with tears. Riruka blanched. "F-fine! Eat all you want, Jesus!" Leaning back in her chair, Riruka scowled as she took another bite of her food. "Sheesh, how thick can you get? I guess this is what they mean by 'I want to see your parent's faces'..."

"Mhmm," Orihime said through a mouthful of donut. "I want to see them, too."

"Huh? You don't have parents?"

"Yup. Both of them were really violent people or something," she answered easily, continuing to eat as though nothing was wrong. "My Onii-chan took me away as a baby. Because he thought they were going to kill me."

"Then your brother's feeding you- Then I'd like to see _his_ face."

"Sorry, he's already dead, too." Orihime smiled. Riruka lowered her gaze. "A distantly related aunt pays all my expenses, now." In a flash, Riruka stood, slamming her hand on the table before standing up.

"Whatever, I'm leaving! You're no fun to talk to!" she screeched, hands on her hips. "How can you be so nonchalant? You've got some screws loose!"

"It's because I've already been saved- Because of Kurosaki-kun, I can talk about these things..." she said happily. Riruka froze, thinking back to Leona. Just what was Orihime's relationship with Ichigo? And did Leona know about it? Or perhaps Leona wasn't as close to Ichigo as she had lead her to believe. Sucking up her discomfort, Riruka turned back to Orihime.

"Hey, just what's the story with you and Ichigo?"

"W-wha-"

"The way you talk about him, it sounds like you two are in love," she said, stomping her feet as she walked back over to the table, returning to her seat. If she was going to talk to this girl, she might as well learn more about this Leona character while she was at it. "So, are you?"

"W-well, no, I-"

"I just don't really understand how you've been 'saved', I guess." Riruka continued, ignoring Orihime's incessant stuttering in the background. "You make it sound as though you're in a relationship."

"We're not!" Orihime protested frantically, her face quickly becoming flushed. Riruka nodded, picking up her half finished donut from before and taking a bite.

"Right." she said. "Because he's in love with Leona." she observed. Orihime froze. "Isn't that right?"

"I... How do you...?"

"I'm going to tell you something, Orihime," Riruka muttered, lowering her voice that it would have been inaudible unless one was standing right in front of her, as Orihime was. "I've met Leona. I work with her,"

"What? But-"

"You haven't met Kanna yet... Have you?" Orihime shook her head quickly. "The thing is, we have reason to believe that she's not good... I mean, we all know she's a bitch, but I mean, like, evil. Insane." Orhime's eyes widened in surprise, and Riruka nodded wisely. "Good reaction. Leona is the one who told me all about her- But I don't know anything about Leona. I was hoping you could tell me something."

"What?"

"Tell me anything." Riruka said, leaning in closer. "Anything about her. She won't tell me much. She just talks about things all of you have done together- Them going to Hueco Mundo to save you, the Soul Society deal and that Rukia chick. You guys do an awful lot of saving, you know that?" Orihime stammered, attempting to get a word in edgewise, but to no avail. "The only thing she just won't talk about is herself, specifically. Which makes me suspicious. And I feel uncomfortable working for someone who makes me suspicious, I'm sure you understand."

"I-I... I suppose... That makes sense..." Orihime whispered, testing the waters to see if she was, indeed, allowed to now speak. "I met Leona almost four years ago, when she was adopted by my best friend's family. She was called Hiori then."

"She changed her name?"

"Not exactly." Orihime sighed, taking another donut. Riruka's eyes widened; That girl sure could eat. "She had two personalities- Leona and Hiori. Hiori was the bad, and Leona was good. None of us are too clear on just what happened... Leona-chan doesn't like to talk about it." she explained, and Riruka nodded. "But she's been with us for a long time... Through everything... She's been with Kurosaki-kun through everything." Riruka didn't miss the sadness and jealousy that made its way into Orihime's eyes. "But she left us, and returned to Soul Society. Kurosaki-kun has been acting strange ever since."

"You don't like that she's back, do you?" Riruka interjected, shooting a knowing smirk in Orihime's direction before taking a bite of her donut. "We've talked about you, too, you know. A lot... Well, mainly just me." Orihime said nothing, but simply continued to stare at Riruka questioningly. After several minute's silence, Riruka sighed, sensing that she would get nothing else out of the big breasted girl across from her. Before turning away, Riruka though it was best that she tell Orihime one last thing. "She's in love with him, too, you know." she muttered, staring across the gamescape to watch as Ichigo fought with Ginjo. "Sorry... But I don't think she let him go at all. She's coming back for a reason... You know that, don't you?"

"Yes..." Orihime murmured softly, reaching for another donut as Riruka walked off. "I do know that."

* * *

><p>Kurosaki Ichigo walked home slowly, his usual frown in place as he kicked a small pebble along just in front of him. He had finished his training a little sooner than he had anticipated, though his whole body still ached from his intense training with Ginjo. He wondered briefly if it was true, what Ginjo had said before he had sent him on his way home. He had said that after losing his Reiatsu, a tiny remnant of it had accumulated deep within his soul, over a long period of time. Seventeen months, to be exact. When Ginjo had destroyed his eyes, he had still been able to see him- Did that mean that if Leona returned, he would be able to see her, as well?<p>

Ichigo finally stopped walking, coming to a halt in front a familiar place; Urahara Shop stood alone proudly in the dim light of the early evening, the bright yellow letters glittering in the low sunlight. Ichigo sighed, his eyes searching the place carefully for signs of anything- _Anyone._ He saw nothing. It didn't look as though anyone was home. Sighing audibly, Ichigo faced forwards again to continue on towards Kurosaki Clinic. But no sooner had he lifted a foot to start forward did he once again freeze in his tracks. Someone was standing right in front of him.

_Leona_ was standing right in front of him.

Her hair was longer, now, and her cloudy grey eyes looked somehow... Different. No, not different... _Better._ Happier. More free, perhaps, or maybe she was just glad to see him. Ichigo couldn't quite place it, but he didn't really mind. She was _here_. He could see her, and she could see him. He blinked almost reluctantly, as if she would be gone when he opened his eyes again. But when he checked, she was still standing there, her powerful grey eyes reminding him of a wildcat almost. Her carmine hair shifted in the air, and at last he saw her lips twitch into a smile.

"Hey, Ichigo." she whispered, her voice barely audible despite the silence around them.

"Leona..." Ichigo muttered, taking another step forwards. "Is that... I can _see_ you..."

"Yeah, I can tell," Leona replied, chuckling under her breath as Ichigo drew closer. He frowned.

"So... I really did get my powers back..." Leona shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't think so." she murmured, staring up into his eyes as she came to a halt inches from her. "I'm in a Gigai. I can feel it, though... Your power is coming back."

Ichigo's frown deepened, but he said nothing, instead choosing to direct his energies towards staring into Leona's eyes. Leona quickly began to feel uncomfortable under his intense gaze, and she shifted a little, glancing around awkwardly before speaking.

"... Stop staring at me like that."

"Well I don't know when you're gonna leave again," Ichigo replied, and Leona flinched. She knew that he had not meant it to make her feel guilty, but it did. "I want to-" Leona silenced him with a soft sound from her lips, shaking her head slowly before meeting his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ichigo," she whispered, taking his hand and walking towards Urahara Shop. "Urahara gave me this Gigai, so..."

"You're staying?" Ichigo asked, surprise evident in his voice as he removed his shoes before entering the building. Leona made no answer, and simply allowed him to draw his own conclusions from her words. "... Where is everyone?"

"Out," Leona answered simply, walking down the hallways and entering a room on her left. "D'you want tea?" she asked, sitting down on the floor and pouring herself a cup. Ichigo shrugged, though he was beginning to look a good deal more confused by the minute. Leona rolled her eyes- _Men._ At last he sat down, watching carefully as Leona took a sip of her drink. The pair was silent for what seemed like hours, when at last Ichigo spoke up once again.

"I was angry, you know." he muttered almost darkly, averting his eyes when Leona stared at him in surprise over the rim of her teacup. "When you left. I _didn't_ understand. I said I did... But I didn't," Leona sighed, setting down her cup and smiling almost sadly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she did so. Ichigo frowned. "You gonna say anything?"

"I was working on it!" Leona snapped, pursing her lips and glaring at the man across from her. "I knew you wouldn't really understand... But my brother was there... All of the people from my past were there... There were things that I needed to set right, Ichigo. I needed to make up for what Hiori had done."

"And did you?"

"I did as much as I could," she whispered. "I'm sure when this is all over, I will have repaid my debt to Soul Society." Ichigo arched an eyebrow, a frown creasing his forehead as he absorbed these words.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's not important," Leona answered swiftly, shaking her head and laughing it off. "The point is, it's almost over. I won't need to stay in Soul Society anymore."

"You were there out of obligation?"

"And for my brother," she said softly. "After... When he realized he had stabbed Hinamori... It wasn't good, Ichigo." she explained, grey eyes meeting brown momentarily as she spoke. "He needed me there, even if he was too proud to ask." Ichigo nodded, showing that he understood. "But I'll be returning to the world of the living before too long," Leona lowered her voice until it was almost inaudible, and Ichigo arched his eyebrows again; There was something that she wasn't telling him. Leona stood, then, meaning to make her way back out to the main part of Urahara Shop- She was stopped when Ichigo barred her way, pressing her up against the wall, his expression hardened with suspicion.

"What aren't you telling me, Leona?"

"What are-"

"I know you, Leona." he said, cutting her off and leaning closer. "You think you can still hide things from me? I can tell when you're lying,"

"Is that right?"

"It is." he replied curtly. His intense brown eyes looked down at her intently, grey meeting brown for several long minutes. The only noise that could be heard in the room was their breathing, and Leona suddenly felt her cheeks start to heat up. She blinked, looking anywhere but at Ichigo as she spoke up again.

"I-I'm not, okay, can I just-"

"Leona, I'm not letting you go until you tell me." Ichigo stated, backing her farther up against the wall. "Why are you really in this Gigai-"

"For you!" she blurted, grey eyes wide as she realized what she had said. She met his eyes but then looked away quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Ichigo looked surprised, but less angry than he had been before. Leona took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down; It didn't work. "I got this Gigai so I could see you again..." she whispered, looking back up at Ichigo. Had his face been that close before...? She couldn't remember. "That's... All..."

For the second time, Leona felt Ichigo's lips on her own. It was no less perfect than it had been the very first time, when they had kissed before Ichigo had defeated Aizen. She couldn't breathe, but she wasn't in pain, and she felt hot but not uncomfortable. She sighed and leaned in closer as she felt Ichigo's arms encircle her body, pressing her flush against him as if she was going to disappear if he didn't hold on tight enough. Leona let out a long sigh through her lips, not bothering to stop Ichigo when she felt his fingers underneath her shirt.

She had thought that it would have been better for the both of them if she had avoided him until the end of things. If she had waited until all the other Shinigami could finally appear to him to return his Shinigami powers to him. But she had been wrong- Urahara had been right. It was much better to settle all the things between them that had been left undone before anyone else revealed themselves to him. It was much better if she could give him everything that she had always wanted to before she lost the chance entirely- Urahara had been right.

The world around them temporarily forgotten, the pair continued to deepen their kiss, not caring that neither one of them had any idea when Urahara and whoever else would be back. It didn't matter; Nothing matter, just then. And Leona sorely wished that it could have just stayed that way forever.

* * *

><p>Leona's eyelids fluttered open, and she breathed in sharply upon realizing that she had fallen asleep. Her eyes swiftly fell on Ichigo, who was still sleeping soundly beside her- She frowned. This wasn't really a great time for either of them to be sleeping. She smiled nonetheless, her eyes traveling fondly over Ichigo's face before getting up and covering her bare skin with her clothing. Glancing outside, she guessed that they had only been asleep for a few hours; It was dark, now, the crescent moon gleaming brightly above all the chaos that she knew was hidden throughout Karakura Town. She sighed, walking on the tips of her toes as she left the room, determined to be as silent as possible.<p>

The training grounds deep below Urahara Shop had not changed in the slightest, and she breathed in deeply as soon as she had jumped off of the ladder that lead down into it. The air was oddly still, but it was to be expected for an underground training room. The trees were just as brittle looking, and Leona half expected to see a tumbleweed go blowing past her over the dry sand that covered the training ground floor.

"Leona?"

The redhead jumped, glancing over her shoulder in surprise. Her eyes fell on Ichigo, who was now also dressed and was standing behind her by the end of the ladder. His brown eyes were watching her carefully, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Leona swallowed thickly- She hoped against hope that he had no idea what was going through her mind at that moment.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were awake,"

"I wasn't, I got up when you tripped in the hallway." Leona swore under her breath, cursing herself both for her lack of stealth and for lack of gracefulness. She had been sure he hadn't heard- Clearly, she was mistaken. "Were you trying to sneak off?"

"No, I was just coming down here." she said, shrugging and turning back to stare over the desert-like lands of Urahara's training grounds. "Lots of memories here..."

"Yeah, I guess..." Ichigo muttered. He was looking at her with a strange expression, and Leona knew that he was suspicious of her. Who wouldn't be? She hadn't been very good at hiding her worry since he arrived. "... You're really not going to tell me what's wrong, are you?" he continued. Leona turned towards him, then, a wide smile stretching over her lips as her eyes met his.

"Sorry, no." she laughed, and Ichigo sighed. "Another time, maybe." she continued, but she didn't come any closer to him. "When all this is over, I'll tell you."

"'All this'?" Ichigo repeated, raising his eyebrows with curiosity. Leona shook her head.

"I'll find you, Ichigo," she murmured, her grey eyes concealing her sadness as best she could. "But your families probably worried... It's gotten pretty late."

"Shit," Ichigo muttered, knitting his eyebrows together in frustration. "I completely forgot... Yeah, I should go." he muttered. Leona smiled, taking a step closer and letting her lips brush against his one more time.

"I'll find you." she repeated, watching carefully as Ichigo made his way up the ladder and disappeared from sight. "When this is all over... I'll find you."

* * *

><p><strong>Now I know that in the manga, Ichigo leaves the base and then goes back home and then all that crazy Tsukishima stuff starts to go down. But I made it so that he leaves just a few hours earlier, so it'll still line up with the manga when he actually does get back home. I hope I did all the LeonaxIchigo bits okay, please let me know what you think and review! The story's almost over, and it's only 20 more reviews to 200! Thanks so much to all who have reviewed already, and don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts, even if it's about something you DON'T like!<strong>

**To Luafua: I had no idea that Mila Rose's ressureccion was called Leona! Oh man, that's crazy, and I must say it's kind of an embarrassing coincidence! In another note, I actually took a look at your story- It's very well written. Mine didn't get very many reviews to begin with, you've just got to keep at it! Good luck, and thanks for your review!**

**Thanks again to all who reviewed, and look out for the next chapter! Only a few more left!**


	60. Part 5: Death, Strawberry and the Lion

...

* * *

><p><em>"We are the fish before the waterfall. We are the insects inside the cage. We are the wreckage of the angry sea, The skull upon the staff, the torrent of power, all of which the whale swallows. We are the bull with five horns, we are the monster that breathes fire, the child who screams. Ah, we are being poisoned by the moonlight<em>_"_

* * *

><p>"Thank God!" Yuzu sprinted towards the door, a wide smile stretching her features nicely as Ichigo entered his home within Kurosaki Clinic. "Ichi-nii's finally home!"<p>

"Er... Yeah, sorry I was so late." Ichigo said awkwardly, rubbing the back of neck and thinking back to the last few hours. Leona's face was still burned into his eyes, and he could still feel her shallow breathing against his skin; He shook his head in a desperate attempt to clear it. When he looked back towards Yuzu, his youngest sister was still beaming brightly up at him. Ichigo shivered- Somehow, he felt that something was off.

"We were waiting for you!" Yuzu chimed happily, her eyes narrowing slightly as her smile widened. "We've got a guest who's a blast from the past!"

"A blast from the past?" Ichigo asked, the cogs in his mind working at full speed in an attempt to fit Yuzu's words together. "Who is it?"

"Guess!"

"C'mon, give me a hint," Ichigo sighed tiredly, in no mood for twenty questions.

"Well, okay, here's a hint!" Yuzu said, taking his hand and leading him towards the doorframe that lead into the sitting area. "It's a cousin!"

"... A cousin?" Ichigo repeated, glowering slightly as Yuzu ignored him and trotted into the living room. Ichigo's eyebrows knitted together in the center of his forehead as he allowed his eyes to follow her.

"Ichi-nii's home!" she called happily, and as Ichigo followed her into the sitting room, he couldn't help it as his eyes widened to the size of saucers, and his heart stopped completely in his chest. Staring back at him was a familiar face- A face that he wished wasn't so familiar. A face that he desperately did not want to see lounging on his couch with his family in his living room.

"See, I bet you're surprised Ichi-nii, it's Shuu-chan! We haven't seen him since grandpa Rin's funeral, so it's been years, right?" Yuzu rambled, apparently not even noticing that Ichigo had yet to say anything at all, even as his eyes met Tsukishima's. "It sure brings back some memories!" Ichigo's heart was racing, and he felt his face start to heat up out of panic. Where was Urahara? Rukia, Byakuya, Renji, _anybody_. Where was Leona at a time like this- She had said 'when it was all over'. Is this what she had met by _this?_

"Why hello there, Ichigo." Tsukishima drawled. "It's been a while." Ichigo's breathing stopped.

He needed to find Leona- And fast.

* * *

><p>"It's started,"<p>

Riruka's magenta eyes pulled away from the building on the outskirts of Karakura Town that she had been staring at for several long minutes, instead choosing to settle on her single companion. The companion, a girl, was none other than Leona, who's blood red hair flapped in the harsh evening breeze that whipped through the city below them. Riruka scoffed, folding her arms and turning away from the edge of the building on which they were standing.

"_It's_ _started_," she repeated skeptically, her heels clicking on the roof of the building as she walked towards her friend. "Are we in some sort of Medieval war movie?" Leona rolled her eyes in reply, flinching slightly as she felt Ichigo's still-growing Reiatsu sprint past the building that was currently acting as her and Riruka's hideout. "Do you even understand what's happening right now?"

"Not too much, no."

"Good, because I don't either."

"I'm seriously beginning to question my choice of allies, here." Leona muttered darkly, grey meeting magenta for only a moment before the pair's gaze broke apart. Riruka sneered, seating herself on the edge of the building precariously and crossing her legs.

"Admit it, I'm the best option you had,"

"Yeah, right." Leona replied almost sassily, laughing nervously along with Riruka as the two girls felt the fluctuating Reiatsus rise up from the town below them. Leona froze, suddenly feeling an all too familiar Reiatsu draw ever closer- An energy that she had not planned on encountering so soon. Riruka sensed it too, looking up to meet Leona's eyes for one fleeting moment before the voice of the Reiatsu's owner broke through the silence on the rooftop.

"Well, this is a party." The voice was quiet- Soft, but cold like ice, and despite herself Riruka felt herself shiver. Kanna's auburn hair shifted along with Riruka and Leona's as the cutting breeze whipped through their hair once more.

"What do you want?" Riruka snapped, folding her arms across her chest. Leona stayed silent, allowing her grey eyes to narrow as she took in the appearance of the stoic girl before them. This really was their first time actually meeting. The last two times they had "met" she was either in the middle of being kidnapped or unconscious and being experimented on.

But despite never having gotten to know her, Leona could already tell that this girl was merely the shell of the girl that Nnoitra and Tia had scooped up out of the human world. _Kanna_ was gone. This girl just looked like her. Aizen's experiments had made sure that her original personality was warped far beyond the point of recognition, Leona was sure, much in the way he had done with Hiori. With _herself._

"Just checking out the competition," Kanna replied, sky blue eyes calm as they settled on Leona, who was still staring straight at her unblinkingly. "Tsukishima-san has made his move. I'm sure that by now the two of you understand at least that much."

"Of course we do." Riruka answered swiftly, her eyes darting towards Leona briefly, nervousness clearly evident deep within her magenta orbs. Leona nodded. Best to bluff now and wait until they had all the cards they needed to win the game. Kanna smirked.

"Right." she replied. "Of_ course_ you do."

"What do you know about it?" Riruka asked. Kanna smirked still wider.

"Only that Tsukishima-san is playing right into my hands." she said. Her sky blue eyes were now glittering in a malicious sort of way, a look that Leona did not feel too comfortable seeing on such a petite, innocent-looking girl. "He made a mistake allowing me into his inner circle- Not that he could have guessed. But it was well worth playing along with this charade of his, it works out well for me."

"Kanna..." Leona began, speaking up at last. Riruka could have sworn that she saw Kanna's eyes light up at the sound of Leona's voice. Riruka's magenta eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, content to allow the situation before her to play out. "What are you planning?"

"You should know, Nee-chan," Kanna replied. Her voice was a ghost of a whisper, yet it was still audible to the two girls in front of her, who's eyes were now wide with surprise. "You read the files I left behind. Or am I mistaken?"

"What... What did you just call me?" Leona breathed. Her cloudy eyes were still wide with surprise, and it was painfully clear to Riruka that she was holding back whatever panic she might have been feeling. Kanna smiled- Not an evil smile. A smile-smile. Riruka's eyes grew still wider; What was this girl's deal?

"_Nee-chan_." Kanna breathed, repeating her words once more on Leona's request. Then she paused, not moving her head bast casting her eyes far to her left. A moment later she cocked her head, as if listening for some distant noise. "... We will have to continue this conversation some other time. I have things that I need to take care of." And suddenly she was gone, leaving nothing but the lingering feeling of her Reiatsu in her wake.

"Damn." Riruka sighed, turning to face a still shocked Leona. "She's not playin' around."

"... You're telling me."

* * *

><p>It was never a question of whether or not they had ever <em>trusted<em> Tsukishima. Riruka knew this all too well- She knew his power all too well. But there was a difference between _knowing_ and _understanding._ Riruka was aware of this, as well. She knew what Tsukishima could do- What he had done, what would do if given the opportunity. And knowing all of these things- Sharing all of these things with an ally that she believed, for whatever reason, that she could trust, had allowed her to come to terms with the fact that Tsukishima, although the enemy, was also predictable. What worried her was Kanna.

Kanna was unpredictable. And it scared her shitless.

She was alone, for now at least, simply being an onlooker as Ginjo was struck down by Tsukishima. Ichigo's cries filled her ears, but Riruka just didn't know what she was supposed to do; What _could_ she do? Leona had said that there was only one thing that she needed to do, and that was to restrain Kanna when the time was right. All she could do was watch as one of Ichigo's friends- One that she had never met before- Appeared behind him. Riruka gulped, shivering slightly as the breeze brushed over her exposed skin.

And then the game changed.

"Ginjo... Why?" Ichigo choked out, blood spilling down the side of his face as he gazed up at Ginjo in confusion. "So.. So you... Were switched by Tsukishima?"

"You are half right," Ginjo replied lazily. Riruka held her breath, wanting to do something with all of her heart but knowinng that she shouldn't... No, that she couldn't. "I will admit to being affected by Tsukishima's powers. But don't make any mistake- I didn't become your enemy _because_ Tsuhishima cut me. I had Tsukishima cut me twice- And I returned to normal."

Riruka shook her head vigorously, holding her face between her hands as she breathed in and out rapidly- Nothing made sense. Nothing was predictable. _Everything_ scared her shitless. She didn't know what was real and what was just brought about by Tsukishima's powers anymore. Was she just like Ginjo, simply waiting out this pseudo existence until Tsukishima cut her for a second time? Would she end up betraying Leona and siding with Kanna- Or would she still be the "Riruka" that she knew herself to be?

"It's time that I relieved you of your Fullbring."

And with that, Riruka could only watch as Ichigo was impaled on Ginjo's own Fullbring sword. Blood sprayed the air and Riruka flinched, almost unable to stop herself from coming to Ichigo's aid. Where was Leona- Would she even come? Maybe this was her plan all along... Riruka lowered her eyes.

"She'll... She will come..."

"And that's that." Ginjo murmured.

"My Book of the End..." Tsukishima began, walking closer towards Ichigo and Ginjo. "With a single strike, allows me to slip my existence into a target's past however I choose. A second strike removes that influence."

"I would be operating closest to you, and prevent you from suspecting me." Ginjo continued, the tip of his sword still imbedded in Ichigo's chest. "We used that ability to slip Tsukishima into my past as an enemy.

"That's not true. You're just horrible at acting, that's why we did it." Tsukishima said, a small smile stretching his features as he spoke. "Kanna-san knows, she can back me up." Riruka's eyes followed Tsukishima's gaze, widening slightly when they fell on the familiar caramel haired girl far to his right. Her bright blue eyes were glittering with the secret that only she knew- Riruka guessed that it would only be a matter of time before she burned Tsukishima in a very figurative sense.

"It is true, Kugo-san." she murmured, and Riruka saw Ichigo's eyes widen with confusion as he watched Kanna step even closer towards the three of them- Four of them, if they had known that Riruka was perched on the building rooftop just above of them. "Your acting is almost as horrible as your disposition." Ginjo snickered but made no retort at first, apparently content with shouldering the double bladed insult in favor of continuing their confrontation with Ichigo.

"I think my acting was fine just then,"

"As soon as Tsukishima-san cut you, you began calling him 'Kurosaki-kun' once again." Kanna observed keenly. Ginjo's eyes narrowed, and Riruka could only watch as Ginjo slowly began sucking the power that Ichigo had worked so hard to gain out of his body.

"Fuck you little girl," he replied sourly, but the next second he stopped speaking, watching carefully as Ichigo's Fullbring fell apart. His Substitute Shinigami badge fell to the ground with a clatter. Riruka could only guess how he must have been feeling- He had only wanted to protect his friends. To find his power once more, to see Leona again. He fell to the ground, and Riruka's eyes softened- He was_ crying._ Where was Leona? How long did she intend to let this go on for?

"Is he crying?" Kanna muttered darkly. Riruka could sense Reiatsu welling around her. Tsukishima smirked.

"I feel slightly horrible."

"Oh, let him cry." Ginjo muttered angrily. "We've no use for him anymore. It's unlikely that we'll ever meet him again."

"Give it back!" Ichigo choked out. Despite herself, Riruka felt her hardened exterior beginning to crumble. This was going much too fall. "My power... Ginjo, give it back!"

"What? You're joking. It's power that I gave back to you. It was mine to start with." Ginjo sneered. Kanna and Tsukishima still had not moved, and Riruka felt her heart speed up- Leona was here. "I'm sparing your life even though you're useless now. The least you could do is thank me."

"Ginjo!" Ichigo roared, pushing himself upwards. "GINJ-!"

As Ichigo turned his head, ignoring the pain in his chest radiating out from the stab wound, he could only stare in awe at the people that he spied behind him. His own father, and Urahara, were now staring straight at him from over his shoulder.

"D... dad... Urah... Ara..." Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around the blade in his chest, tears streaming down his face as he assumed the worst. "So that's it? That's it, then...? Dad... You too? That's how it is?"

"Idiot." his father replied slowly. "It wasn't me who stabbed you. Look closely... You should be able to see their form by now,"

And in that split second before it all began again, Ichigo saw it all so clearly. Behind him stood Rukia- That same Shinigami girl who had blessed him with her own powers of Death those many, many months before. Then on his chest he felt a pair of hands, the palms of which were pressed firmly against him. His eyes looked downwards, and it was as if time stopped for that single moment where grey met brown just as they used to- As equals. And then he was surrounded by a blast of energy so immense that he wondered how Leona and Rukia weren't blown away by it. Riruka smiled- Leona had made her appearance. For now, she could rest easy.

When Ichigo finally emerged from the cloud of energy, Leona's smile stretched farther than it ever had before. She had missed him like this- So self confident and so ready to risk it all for the people that he cared for the most. He turned around, facing both her and Rukia at once, his new Zanpakuto perched heavily on a single shoulder.

"Rukia... Leona..." he whispered, his eyes softening. Rukia smiled, and Leona nodded.

"It's been a while, Ichigo." Rukia replied, her steady purple eyes looking him up and down as she spoke. "Since I last saw you, you have become much... Less reliable, you utter fool!" Leona and Ichigo both jumped in surprise as Rukia took a running leap at the Substitute Shinigami, kicking him square across the face. leona winced, sucking air between her teeth as she covered her face, empathizing with the painful kick Rukia had just delivered. "Crying on the ground like a worthless coward! Can you not do anything without us around to keep you in check?"

"C'mon, Rukia, that's not too helpful."

"How can you support this?" Rukia growled, rounding on Leona. "Come on, it's pathetic! _Pathetic_ is putting it_ lightly!_" Leona rolled her eyes, brushing past Rukia and extending a hand in Ichigo's direction, smiling to herself as their skin made contact for the first time since their few precious hours together.

"Urahara has filled us in on Tsukishima's ability." she said, though Riruka did not miss her deliberate glance in her direction. Despite herself, she waved, if not halfheartedly. "To rewrite the past. It is a terrifying ability, that much is clear. However... So what?"

"What?" Ichigo replied blandly, giving Leona a look of disbelief.

"He can alter your past, but he can't alter our future, Ichigo!" Leona said, pulling him back into standing position with her arm. "They may have broken your trust... But you still trust us. Don't you, Ichigo?" Despite himself, Ichigo smiled a small smile before donning a very serious expression.

"Leona... My past hasn't been changed in the slightest."

"Don't say such meaningless things with a serious face!" Rukia and Leona cried in unison, taking synchronized swings at Ichigo's face, Leona with her fist, and Rukia with the sword that had, moments earlier, been protruding from Ichigo's chest.

"What was that for! Don't stab me!"

"Fool, can't you see this sword has no blade?" Rukia grumbled, her voice laced with frustration. Leona smiled fondly, glancing back towards the line of Shinigami now standing behind the for back up. It still surprised her how narrow-sighted Ichigo could be. He had yet to notice that half of the Gotei Thirteen had arrived to help him defeat these people.

"... Come to think of it, what's up with that sword?"

"It was made specifically for you by Urahara." Leona replied, watching Rukia carefully as the blade emitted a bright white glow. "Thanks to that, Rukia was once more able to grant you Shinigami powers." Leona paused when Ginjo cleared his throat and stepped forward. Briefly, her eyes fell on Kanna, and somehow she knew that she was about to make her move.

"Stop talking such a load of-" Ginjo was silenced with a single flick of the wrist from Kanna. His eyes widened, but he did nothing, his lips now pressed together in a firm line. The sign of Omega was now clearly visible on Kanna's pale palm, and Leona narrowed her eyes.

"You're not alone, are you?" Leona whispered, touching Ichigo's hand briefly before stepping forwards. Kanna shook her head, lifting up both palms as if she was surrendering. But Leona knew that was too good to be true, and the next second she was proven right. Yukio, Giriko and Jackie had now appeared behind Kanna and Tsukishima, who's eyes were now just as wide as Ginjo's.

Leona narrowed her eyes and exchanged glances with Ichigo, who was clearly asking her with his eyes 'Just what on Earth is happening?'. Leona wished she knew the answer. She quickly darted her eyes towards where Riruka had been standing- She was now gone. Leona smiled. She was coming to back her out.

"Kanna-san..." Tsukishima said shakily, his eyes darting back and forth. Rukia's eyes widened upon the realization that none of the five Fullbringers flanking Kanna could move a single limb. "Just what is happening, here?"

"You will see," Kanna said softly. Leona's grey eyes moved from Kanna's Omeha signs on her palms, to the five Fullbringers behind her. She had finally revealed her power. "Do you want to hear it, Nee-chan?" Leona flinched, feeling as if her heart was frozen every time Kanna called her that. She hated it. Behind her she could sense Toshiro shift uncomfortably. She hoped that he didn't misunderstand.

"The name of my Fullbring. Do you want to know?" Leona said nothing, simply watching with stoic curiosity as Kanna wiggled her fingers, causing Ginjo to take a step forwards. "Of course you do." she whispered. Closing her eyes, she curled her fingers into her palms, squeezing them tight before finally letting the words leave the cage she had kept them locked in for so long.

"The name of my Fullbring... Is Puppet Show. Are you all ready for the finale?"

* * *

><p><strong>POWER REVEALED.<strong>

**In this chapter, I only take a little portion out to reiterate the scene where Tsukishima makes an appearance in Ichigo's home. I didn't want to go through that whole thing again, as it would have proved rather pointless. I'm assuming that most people get what happened so long as they kept up with the manga! Hope that it turned out alright, I feel like maybe I rushed things a bit? Anyways, then we have a scene between Riruka and Kanna, where Leona and Kanna finally meet. Why is Kanna calling Leona Nee-chan? All will be revealed next chapter- But they are NOT related, just so you know. It's complicated. I'll get to that. I also hope that her Fullbring power is as cool as people were hoping for, it'll be explained lots more in the next chapter. Let me know what you think. Thank you so much to all who reviewed on the last chapter, and keep a look out for the next one- There's only two chapters left!**

**To SwirlzSmile: You are exactly right! She is the girl that was kidnapped and taken to Las Noches. More will be revealed about Kanna in the next chapter! Thanks so much for your review and support of my writing!**


	61. Part 5: Alpha and Omega

...

* * *

><p><em><strong>Last Chapter...<strong>_

"The name of my Fullbring. Do you want to know?" Leona said nothing, simply watching with stoic curiosity as Kanna wiggled her fingers, causing Ginjo to take a step forwards. "Of course you do." she whispered. Closing her eyes, she curled her fingers into her palms, squeezing them tight before finally letting the words leave the cage she had kept them locked in for so long.

"The name of my Fullbring... Is Puppet Show. Are you all ready for the finale?"

* * *

><p><em>"In my desperation, I'll dress myself up grandly, even while knowing you'll cut me down. In my desperation, I'll polish myself to a shine, even while knowing you'll cut me down. It was terrible, how it was terrible, when you once did just that. You lopped off my hair, and left me looking like you did when you died<em>_"_

* * *

><p>The rooftop was blanketed in silence for what seemed like hours. The five confused Fullbringers who still flanked Kanna against their will were glancing around almost frantically, as if doing so would somehow bring them salvation. Leona's grey eyes had not moved from Kanna's for even one second, and she still stood as close to Ichigo as she possibly could. Her heart was dancing in her chest in a way that almost made her feel sick to her stomach. It was that sort of sickening anticipation that one suffered when they knew exactly what was to come, exactly what one must do. And Leona knew <em>exactly<em> what she had to do.

"Do you understand me now, Nee-chan?" Kanna was the one to break the silence first, though Leona did not seem surprised by this. It seemed that the usually stoic, bright-eyed girl had much more to say now that her intentions had been brought to the surface of things. Leona pursed her lips; She did not think that she would ever come to understand this empty shell who called herself_ Kanna_.

"You may think that you do not now, but you will soon. These people cannot understand the way that I think." she continued, gesturing around her lazily. Yukio's normally impassive face was now contorted with panic, an expression that anyone who had known Yukio could safely say that they had never seen before in their lives. "They will never understand the things that I choose to do. But you can, Nee-chan. We are the same,"

"No, we're really not." Leona replied curtly, narrowing her stormy eyes warningly.

"Nee-chan, you-"

"If we're so alike, why are you over there, and I'm over here?"

Kanna flinched, her light blue eyes widening slightly at Leona's biting acerbic retort. The words seem to cut through her hardened exterior more than Leona had predicted they would. The girl continued to look more and more flustered, saying nothing, appearing to be having a difficult time choosing her words. As Leona watched her, she went over the information about the girl in front of her within her mind.

The girl that Tia and Nnoitra had snatched from the human world had been nearly entirely recreated through Aizen and Szayel's meddling and experimenting- Only the memories of the once meek and pure girl remained. Her personality was warped, her world-view twisted, and her powers enhanced. Leona knew this; But something told her that, deep down, the Kanna that had once existed was still there. Maybe struggling to free herself- Or maybe struggling to live up to the expectations of the man who had made her what she was today.

"You will understand me!" Kanna said at last, her voice sounding unsure but vindictive all the same. "You have to! Father said that we are the same!" Leona blinked, tearing her eyes away from Kanna for the first time for many long minutes to exchange worried glances with Ichigo.

"F... Father?" she whispered, still staring at Ichigo. Her heart was still beating much too quickly for her liking. "Who do you mean by 'father'?"

"You have to know!" Kanna yelled. She was losing her cool, and fast, much faster than Leona had guessed she would. "How can you not know? Father said you knew! He wrote it down, I _read_ it!" Leona could sense her Reiatsu swelling dangerously- Maybe it would be too late...

"Riruka, now!"

Kanna froze, her blue eyes wide as the familiar magenta-haired Fullbringer appeared directly behind her. Her long pink locks billowed around her from the speed with which she had traveled. Bright green Bringer Light still surrounded her feet, and it was now whirling around both her and Kanna like a brilliant green serpent. Riruka narrowed her eyes, and Leona suddenly realized that she was pointing a small pink and yellow gun straight at the base of Kanna's neck.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," Riruka spat, her pink eyes narrowing as Kanna shifted uncomfortably. "You've never seen this before, have you? You don't know what I can do."

Leona held her breath- She had hoped that cornering Kanna in such a way would be the end of it. She had allowed herself to become hopeful after she had befriended Riruka and gotten her to agree to her plan. But she could see it, now. Deep within Kanna's eyes, she could see that it didn't matter- Not in the slightest. Riruka not yet being affected by her powers was merely a hiccup in her master plan; It was a miscalculation that she viewed as easily remedied. Riruka posed no threat to her- That much was painfully clear as Kanna sharpened her blue eyes in preparation for her next move.

"Riruka!"

"Get out of there, Riruka!" Ichigo yelled along with her, but it was too late. With a grunt of strain, Kanna ducked low, maneuvering beneath Riruka's Love Gun before popping up once again, knocking the weapon right out from between Riruka's fingers. The pink haired girl gasped, unable to move or react or do much of anything. And then Kanna's hands were on hers, her twin Omega tattoos pressed clean against Riruka's palms. Riruka's eyes widened as she seized up, unable to fight against the power of Kanna's Fullbring.

"Nice try, Nee-chan." Kanna smirked. She turned away from Riruka, who was now completely frozen, just like the rest of the Fullbringers. "But I knew what was coming. Riruka has been working alongside you for some time. I knew that. I was not unprepared." she mused. The soles of her shoes clicked against the concrete roof of the building as she took a few small steps towards the group of Shinigami that stood across from her. She looked completely unafraid. "It was a good try, though. I will admit that I do not know what Dokugamine-san could have done to me with that gun of hers had I not been so forewarned of her intentions,"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Ichigo muttered, motioning between the now frozen Riruka and Leona, who nodded slowly before speaking to Kanna again.

"How long have you known?" Leona whispered.

"For some time," Kanna answered. "I could feel your Reiatsu on her, even after your very first meeting."

"My bad," Leona murmured, her eyes meeting Riruka's briefly before traveling back to Kanna. "So what happens now? My plan's fucked, so I guess it's your turn." Kanna smiled, but before she could speak she was interrupted by Renji.

"For a Shogi master you make some really shit plans, Hitsugaya," he taunted. Toshiro glared at him pointedly, and Leona muttered a low 'fuck off' under her breath. Renji backed down, unable to deal with being verbally attacked by both Hitsugaya siblings at one time. Kanna was smiling, now, her face contorted in a way that Leona found to be considerably unnerving.

"Well, we can't have all of these Shinigami around to distract you, now can we?"

"I was thinking they'd help out instead of distract," Leona replied sourly. Kanna smiled again.

"I don't much like the sound of that, either." she said, and with a single look to her right, she sent four Fullbringers charging head on in their direction. Riruka looked thoroughly terrified, and Leona was sure she heard her mutter 'I'm sorry' before pouncing onto Rukia. Leona didn't have much time to see what happened to each Fullbringer, however, as she was soon distracted by Ginjo and Tsukishima taking a running start in her direction. Drawing her Zanpakuto, she readied herself for some sort of impact, but Kanna seemed to have different ideas.

A muffled 'oomf' escaped Ichigo's mouth as Ginjo made heavy contact with him, pushing him away from Leona and to another area. Tsukishima sprinted past her, and she turned her head to watch as he clashed swords with none other than Byakuya. Leona whipped around, realizing that all of her back up had been dispersed throughout the area- She was completely alone. It was just her and Kanna.

"Now that we have everyone out of the way..." Kanna murmured, waving her hands through the air and stretching her fingers as if she was suddenly overcome with very bad hand cramps. "This certainly is a stretch. I don't think I've ever controlled so many puppets at once,"

"They're _people_, Kanna." Leona replied through clenched teeth. "They're _not_ your puppets."

"Oh, I think you'll find that they are. They are very much my puppets. You saw it, didn't you? All I had to do was think 'Fight them', and they charged forwards." she said. Leona blinked, glancing far to her left to watch as Ginjo and Ichigo began to brawl in midair. "I am sure that Kugo-san does not mind too much, he wanted to fight Ichigo anyways."

"I don't understand." Leona murmured. The hilt of her Zanpakuto was still clutched tightly in her fist, but she kept her blade down, despite Jairo's many warnings within her mind. She would wait- She had to wait. "What's this power? I don't get it."

"What's not to get?" Kanna replied, smiling triumphantly and gesturing to the chaos ensuing behind her. Yukio and Toshiro were nowhere to be seen, and neither were Riruka and Rukia, though Leona could only imagine how that fight would play out. Rukia was as much a sucker for cute things as Riruka was, and she very much doubted that coming at Rukia with giant stuffed animals would do all too much. "One touch from Omega and it is the end of these people's control over their own bodies. I think it, they do it, I do not even have to give them specifics."

"What do you mean?" Leona whispered. She wanted to carry this out as long as possible. Maybe she would get tired and grow too weak to carry on, or maybe she would see reason and stop altogether. But Leona didn't have much hope. She knew what it would come to, in the end.

"I mean, all I have to do is think 'fight them', and they will fight them like they would any other opponent. I don't have to think, 'now kick them' or 'now use your power'. They will fight them as if they wanted to all along, but only because I told their bodies to. I am their mind, now, it is as simple as that."

"That doesn't sound simple to me."

"But it is. The end is always simple, no matter how the end starts." Kanna replied smoothly. "Nee-chan should understand that, she was the beginning of the end, after all." Leona narrowed her eyes, and raised Jairo slightly despite herself. Her instincts were kicking in, now.

"I am?"

"Yes." Kanna said with confidence. "You are Alpha," she continued, pointing at Leona. Then she pointed to herself. "I am Omega. You are the first and I am the last- The ultimate end to the set. I was created through you, and we were both created by the same person, weren't we?"

"Aizen,"

"Father." Kanna corrected, her eyes squinting with mild anger. "Not _Aizen_, Father."

"He's not my father," Leona replied. She pursed her lips, biting back her anger so as not to upset Kanna further. She didn't need for her to go wild just yet. "He isn't yours, either. You have a family here-"

"I have not seen them since my return from Home."

"From Las Noches?"

"Home." Kanna stated. Leona flinched. This girl was truly experiencing a horrible case of Stockholm Syndrome, if nothing else. "Las Noches is Home, where Father lived and where I was created."

"Oh, yeah?" Leona snapped, her anger now rising despite her feeble attempts for self control. "Well I wasn't made there, okay? I lived in Rukongai with my brother, To-"

"Brother?" Kanna sounded surprised- Almost jealous. Angry, even. Leona flinched. She didn't like where this was going. "You do not have a brother."

"Yeah, I do. His name is Toshi-"

"No, you do not!" Kanna screeched angrily. Green Bringer Light surrounded her feet, and Leona had to work to Shunpo quickly out of Kanna's way. Her fist grazed past Leona's cheek, and Leona was sure that she could feel some sort of familiar Reiatsu leaking out from beneath her skin- A Reiatsu that soon had her skin crawling. Where did she know it from...? "You do not need a brother! You have _me!_"

"I don't want you!"

"Why do you fight this?" Kanna cried desperately, her tone exasperated, frustrated by Leona's lack of understanding. "We are the Beginning and the End. We are perfect Beings- Beings made for destruction! Why do you fight out purpose in this life?"

"It's not _my_ purpose!"

Leona gasped, ducking low as Kanna took another swipe for her face. Her expression was contorted almost beyond recognition, fury and sadness filling her sky blue eyes to the brim. She thought that she saw tears, but she didn't have any time to ponder it, as the next second Kanna aimed a kick straight for her. Leona stopped it with her dagger-like Zanpakuto, pressing the small blade against the sole of Kanna's shoe before releasing her power.

"**_Purify, Jairo!_**" she called. Kanna yelped, forced back by the power that came with Leona's release. Her sword elongated, transforming into the familiar spear that was her Shikai. The hollow beads on both ends of her spear rattled together, and the noise would have been soothing had the situation not been so incredibly tense.

"Nee-chan, stop this!" Kanna cried, ducking as a flaming spearhead narrowly missed cutting her throat. "We are the same! I do not wish to destroy you!"

"Then don't," Leona replied through gritting her teeth. "But I wish to destroy you, so you better make your choice now." She took another jab with her Shikai, this time cutting through Kanna's clothes on her left side. Blood slowly began to trickle down Kanna's exposed skin, and the girl gasped with surprise, clutching her side. Leona made a face- She was sure that she had been aiming for her stomach, and Kanna hadn't even had time to move. So how had she-

"You missed because you cannot kill me, Nee-chan!" Kanna said, answering Leona's unspoken question. "You cannot kill me, just like you could not kill Father! We have the same thing within us, and it will not let you murder me!" Leona's eyes widened as the realization took hold within her mind.

Kanna had said it. They were created the same way. Aizen hadn't known then that he wouldn't be able to take the Hogyoku back, so he had made Kanna the same way that he had created her- With a single shard of the Hogyoku. Leona's eyes darkened; So long as she had the intent in mind to kill her, and so long as Kanna resisted dying within her own mind, the Hogyoku would not allow her to kill her. Leona thought back, recalling what she had theorized about Kanna. Leona had been exactly right. Which meant that there was nothing for it- Only her last plan would work.

"I told you, Nee-chan, we are the same!" she said desperately. "I will release them, look!" Both girls looked towards the sky, and Leona watched as the Fullbringers seized up once more before falling to the ground unconscious. "They will not fight them anymore- They will not even wake up until it is too late, just do as I say!"

Leona had still not moved her eyes from the ground below. She watched as her younger brother and Byakuya stood together, surveying the damage of their surroundings that their fighting had caused. Behind them, Rukia emerged from the woods, carrying Riruka over her shoulders. Ichigo still hovered in the air, watching as his fellow Shinigami emerged from their respective battlegrounds tiredly. All of the Fullbringers were motionless.

"Father created us for a reason- He created you, but when you failed him, he made me." Leona's stormy eyes at last pulled away from Ichigo and her brother, who were now together on the ground, watching over the sleeping Fullbringers. "But we are together now- We can do _this_ together! Don't you see?" Leona shook her head.

"I don't, Kanna." she murmured. "I don't know what 'this' is. What are you even trying to accomplish, here? Do you want to take me away, is that it?" Kanna beamed, and Leona flinched. She was truly happy at the thought of taking her away from here.

"We can always be together- All you have to do is stay with me. Leave your brother, it will not be so hard."

"I won't leave Toshiro, and I won't leave Ichigo, either-"

"Do not mention him to me!" Kanna screamed. Her foot stamped agains the rooftop in outrage, and Leona almost jumped in surprise. Whatever it was she had been expecting from the caramel haired girl in front of her, it certainly hadn't been that juvenile reaction. "It is because of him that you resist me, Nee-chan!"

"Ichigo isn-"

"Kurosaki is the reason that the you that Father created is all gone!" Kanna cried, her voice quickly becoming more and more desperate with every word that she spoke. "You _love_ him. You love him more than you will ever love me! That is not how Father wanted it! It is not supposed to be-"

"I don't give a damn how_ Aizen_ wanted it!" Leona interrupted, throwing Jairo to the ground and marching straight towards Kanna. Taking her roughly by the collar, Leona shook her as she spoke, Kanna's eyes wide with fear and confusion as she did so. "I was a person before Aizen got to me! I was someone else before Aizen ruined it all, but it was worth it!" she said. Kanna ceased moving, her body going limp with either surprise or outrage in Leona's grasp. But Leona didn't care- She simply barreled onwards. "Because of it I met Ichigo, and he fixed it! He fixed _me!_ Someone can do that for you, too, Kanna, but you don't_ want_ to be fixed!"

"I do not need to be fixed!" Kanna replied. "I am not _broken!_ Father made me for a reason, and I intend to do what he asked of me!"

"Aizen is gone, Kanna-"

"I can bring him back!"

"I won't let you!"

The two girls ceased to speak, their voices still carrying through the open air. Both of them were breathing heavily, the strain of yelling taking its toll. Both struggled to catch their breath, and Leona was now fighting off a horrible scratchiness deep in her throat from all the yelling.

"Father wanted this. This was Father's goal- He wanted to destroy all of these souls and get the Key. That is why he created me- To destroy all of these souls and to bring him the Oken!" Leona's eyes widened in surprise.

This had been her goal? To destroy Karakura Town, and everyone in it? She had known of Aizen's plan, but she had never expected for him to create something to do it for him. She had had no idea that this was why Kanna had been created. After a pause, a question rose up in Leona's mind.

"... How are you going to destroy Karakura with that Fullbring of yours?" she asked slowly, her voice quiet and level. "That won't do anything." For a while, Leona thought that she might not say any thing. Kanna was silent, her face impassive as she stared up at the girl that she insisted on calling 'Nee-chan'. Then, she laughed. It was soft- It didn't sound evil, or malicious, it simply sounded as though she knew something that Leona didn't. It was taunting.

"You think that Father did not plan for this?" Kanna whispered, bringing her face dangerously close to Leona's. Their noses almost touching, Leona could feel her cool breath on her face as she spoke. "You think that Father would have entrusted this task to me, and then not provide me with the means to see it through?"

"... No. I don't think that," Leona admitted. Kanna sniggered, though her expression did not match the triumphant tone of her voice. It appeared sad, and her eyes were rapidly filling with tears. For such a powerful weapon, the girl was almost too fragile to believe possible.

"That power... The one that belonged to the former King of Hueco Mundo..." Kanna began, backing away slowly from Leona, who's expression was becoming more and more worried with each word that met her ears. "Some of it belongs to me, now, thanks to Father. He gave it to me to rot this town away, and that is just what I intend to do." Grey eyes widened, and Leona's carmine locks whipped around her face as a whirlwind of Reiatsu rapidly began to overtake the small girl in front of her. "If you will not join me, then so be it. You can die alongside Kurosaki and your precious _brother_, Nee-chan. I did not wish to destroy you... But you will not see reason."

And then Kanna was gone, leaving behind only the bright green glow of Bringer Light in her wake. Leona's heart rate quickened, and from far to her right she could feel Urahara's Reiatsu drawing closer. She didn't have much time.

Using Shunpo, Leona quickly traveled to the ground below, where the Shinigami were still getting their bearings on the situation at hand. Each Fullbringer was now laid out on the ground in front of them, all of them appearing to be fast asleep. Her feet touched the ground, kicking small amounts of dust all around her. Byakuya peered over his shoulder, turning away from a distressed-looking Rukia to face her. He said nothing, but his eyes seemed to tell her that he had already guessed what she planned to do.

Leona looked down, ignoring the tickling sensation as her deep red hair fell over her. Toshiro stared back up at her, the young boy still a considerable amount shorter than she was despite the amount of time that had passed since the two siblings had been reunited. Slowly, the redhead crouched down, which earned her a scowl from the youngest Captain of the Gotei Thirteen.

"I do not require you to be on eye level with me, Nee-sama."

"I know," Leona whispered, smiling up at her brother from her position below him. "I like it better this way."

"It's demeaning."

"Bare with it for like five more seconds, jeez," Leona snapped, ruffling her brother's pure white hair while she spoke. Toshiro growled under his breath as the other Shinigami looked on with mild amusement. With a long sigh, Leona stopped, reaching for her waist and untying the deep red sash that she wore to hold her Zanpakuto. Toshiro arched an eyebrow as she placed it in his fingers, smiling sadly when her fingers touched his.

"Nee-sama, what-"

"Just hold onto it for me, alright?" she whispered, grey meeting aqua briefly. Toshiro frowned, attempting to push the cloth back into his sister's hands. Leona refused it, however, balling her hands into fists so that he could no longer force the cloth on her.

"Nee-sama, what's the meaning of this?"

"I told you, just hold onto it." she replied swiftly, standing up in one fluid motion. "I don't want it to get ruined."

"A little late for that, wouldn't you say?" Toshiro replied sourly, gesturing towards the many holes that riddled the burgundy cloth. Leona rolled her eyes, turning away and patting Renji on the shoulder as she walked away from her brother.

"Make sure he keeps it, alright?" she whispered. Renji made a face.

"... What are you up to, Hitsugaya?" he muttered. Leona didn't answer, simply shaking her head and peering back over her shoulder towards Byakuya, Rukia and her brother once more.

"Nee-sama, where is your Zanpakuto?" Toshiro murmured, realization dawning on him quicker than Leona had hoped.

"I won't need it," she replied softly. Toshiro paused, saying nothing for some time. He then clutched her sash tight, lowering his eyes and turning his face away from his elder sister.

"Good luck, Nee-sama." he whispered. Leona smiled in reply, but said nothing. Then she turned her back on her brother, instead walking forwards towards where Ichigo was now staring. Far off in the distance she felt Kanna's Reiatsu spike, and the Shinigami behind him shifted uncomfortably. Somehow, they seemed to understand that it had to be her- It _had_ to be Leona. Ichigo turned to face her, their eyes meeting for only a second before her lips brushed over his. Ichigo froze, his eyes wide as he suddenly understanding just what the kiss meant. Meeting eyes again, Leona leaned in closer, her lips barely touching the shell of his ear as she whispered something so quietly that it was almost inaudible even to him. But he heard it nonetheless, and his eyes widened still further as she pushed away from him.

"Leona, what-"

"Goodbye, Ichigo." she murmured. Then she turned and was gone, her Shunpo carrying her into the heart of Karakura Town. Kanna hovered in midair, far above the rooftops of the buildings that had previously served as their battleground. Around her dark energy pulsed, the bits that escaped touching the buildings for only a second before the cement crumbled and fell to the ground below. In the distance she could still hear Ichigo calling her name, and she felt him closing in on her. Leona closed her eyes.

"Do it, Urahara." she whispered. From the rooftop behind her, Urahara replied.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Leona-san?" he murmured. Leona didn't reply, only nodded, and the next moment she felt the bright green Kido barrier enclose her in a cage with Kanna; The very same barrier that had been used to detain Barragan in Fake Karakura Town. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the barrier rotted just like the building rooftops were- She had to act quickly. She had to act _now._

Kanna hovered in front of her, her body completely still as the decaying energy enveloped her body, but did not harm it. The dark cloak of energy continued to expand and contract, growing fast and rapidly reaching the edges of Urahara's Kido cage. Leona took a deep breath and stepped forwards. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she winced as her skin made contact with the dark energy surrounding Kanna. It was eating away at her already, but she ignored it. Instead, she kept walking, not stopping until she had reached the vessel from which the rotten energy was pouring from. Kanna's blue eyes opened, widening when they saw just who had joined her.

"What..."

Leona cut her off, wrapping her aging arms around the small body of the girl who called her sister. She felt the Reiatsu well deep within her rapidly decaying body, and she knew that it was now far too late to second guess herself. Kanna squirmed within her grasp, but the next moment Leona felt her frail arms wrap around her body, clutching at the remaining fabric of her hakama. Leona closed her eyes and held on, ignoring the sickening pain she felt as her body began to crack and glow read.

"_Hadō Ninety-Six,_" she whispered, her lips brushing against Kanna's neck as she spoke. Kanna's body went limp, smiling serenely as she clutched her "sister" still closer.

"Nee-chan..."

As she spoke the last words that she would ever say, Leona's mind couldn't help but travel back to the very moment that was truly the beginning for her.

_"Even you, Hitsugaya-san." Ishida continued, which shut Hiori up instantly. Why was he bringing her into this? "The evidence that neither of you are good at either controlling your spiritual powers is that you haven't noticed me until today. Kurosaki, I've noticed your unusually high spiritual powers since the day you entered this school. And how, in mid-may, you acquired the powers of a Shinigami... And Kuchiki Rukia's true identity." The look he gave them was enough to send chills up Hiori's spine. "And as for you, Hitsugaya-san..." he began, and as he said this the ribbons that Hiori had only ever seen once before appeared around them. "I've only noticed any spiritual powers within you recently- However, this Reiraku tells a different story." he murmured, and before Hiori had time to react, a hand had reached behind her and grabbed something out of the air. A startlingly red ribbon, the color of dried blood, was now clutched within Ishida's fist._

_"Surely, Kurosaki, you know what these are?" he asked, not releasing the ribbon in his hands. Ichigo nodded curtly, not quite sure what to make of the situation. "Well, did you know... The color of a Shinigami's Reiraku is different?" Hiori's breath caught in her throat, and her gray eyes widened. Could this ribbon, this deep red ribbon, which was different from all the others around her... Was this one hers?_

_"It's red."_

Perhaps had that moment been avoided, the words that she was about to say never would have been spoken, but it was all too late. The damage had been done, but there had also been healing. The pain that she had gone through was well worth what she had gained from it. A brother, people that she cared for... People like Ichigo. She wondered if, someday, Tatsuki would come to remember her again. But in the end, Leona figured that it would not matter to anyone either way. Truly, it was better if she never did. Leona somehow found it easier to let it all go if there was one less person who would be hurting without her there... Leona squeezed her eyes tightly together, and despite herself she breathed in sharply when she heard a familiar voice echo within her mind.

'_I promised, didn't I?'_ Jairo whispered, and Leona smiled. '_I said that I would be with you until the end._'

'_Bye, bye... Jairo..._'

"**_****Ittō Kasō.****_**"

It was as if someone had pressed the mute button for everything around her. Leona couldn't hear Ichigo's cries of desperation any longer. She couldn't hear Kanna's words, she couldn't even feel Urahara's presence. She felt nothing, she heard nothing, and she saw only blackness, even as the enormous pillar of deep red fire burst forth from her body, engulfing both her and Kanna in its blast. The Kido cage cracked under the pressure, no longer able to contain the energy within it. The green light shattered and the red flames burst forth, Kanna's black energy dissipating within it as the explosion ran its course, and the entities called Kanna and Leona vanished from the world.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes. Leona died, and so did Kanna. In case anyone doesn't know, Itto Kaso is the "spell of sacrifice" that Yammamoto used to kill Wonderweiss in fake Karakira Town. It is a forbidden offensive technique. The practitioner can only activate the spell by using their own body as the catalyst, and the spell causes a massive pillar of red fire to erupt from the ground in the shape of a giant katana's tip. In english it roughly translates to Single Blade Cremation.<strong>

**To explain briefly, Kanna was created by Aizen to assist in destroying Karakura Town to recreate the Oken, which he then planned to use to get to the Spirit King. During his experiments he managed to give her the power of aging, similar to that of Barragan, the second Espada and former King of Hueco Mundo. Kanna was created much the same way as Hiori/Leona was, in the since that Aizen used a shard of the Hogyoku to poison their souls and to give them extra strength. Due to this, however, Leona would be unable to destroy Kanna directly. She would only be able to do so if A) Kanna wished to die, thus the Hogyoku would let her die or B) She didn't aim to kill Kanna but instead aimed to kill herself. Killing herself in turn killed Kanna because she was so close to the explosion, but the Hogyoku couldn't stop Leona from killing herself, so it couldn't really stop the explosion from killing Kanna, either.**

**Now just what did Leona whisper to Ichigo? Nothing too big or important, but you'll find out the significance of it in the last chapter. **

**This is not the end, however. And maybe some of my readers will be disappointed by Leona's ultimate fate. But I thought that, considering the "hilariously terrible amount of crap Leona has been through", to quote one of my reviewers, I thought perhaps something like this was as inevitable as it was fitting for her. There will be one final chapter after this to follow up on everything- But don't give up hope on Leona! You'll have to read the last chapter to find out how it really ends. Hope you all enjoyed this, and thanks so much for everyone who has reviewed this story and stuck with me through the whole thing! **

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!**

**Look out for the next chapter and the final ending to Binda Blinda and Leona's story!**


	62. Epilogue: The Final Chapter

...

* * *

><p><em><strong>Last Chapter...<strong>_

"**_****Ittō Kasō.****_**"

It was as if someone had pressed the mute button for everything around her. Leona couldn't hear Ichigo's cries of desperation any longer. She couldn't hear Kanna's words, she couldn't even feel Urahara's presence. She felt nothing, she heard nothing, and she saw only blackness, even as the enormous pillar of deep red fire burst forth from her body, engulfing both her and Kanna in its blast.

The Kido cage cracked under the pressure, no longer able to contain the energy within it. The green light shattered and the red flames burst forth, Kanna's black energy dissipating within it as the explosion ran its course, and the entities called Kanna and Leona vanished from the world.

* * *

><p><em>"You are there and I am here, so good luck with that.<em>_"_

* * *

><p><strong>"The Final"<strong>

**20 YEARS LATER**

* * *

><p><em>His heart was still beating heavily. He knew that the Fullbringers wouldn't get back up for a while- Their complete lack of motion was proof enough of that. Ginjo's face looked more peaceful than he had ever seen it, but Ichigo couldn't help but wonder what was to come when the unconscious members of Xcution were at last roused from their spontaneous and rather unexpected slumber.<em>

_At last he tore his eyes away from their sleeping assailants, instead choosing to allow his light brown eyes to settle on Leona's fight, which was still taking place on the rooftop far above him. He could hear her yelling, but he knew that Leona wouldn't want his help- And as far as he knew, she probably didn't need it. Ichigo knew just as well as the next person that Leona was powerful. A strong, independent girl who felt that she never needed help with anything; But he also knew that he had saved her. He had been there to save her from herself. He knew when she needed him, and right now, she really didn't._

_A sharp cry from a voice that he did not recognize well alerted him to some sort of distress from above him. He assumed that the cry was from the other girl- From Kanna. His eyes returned once more to watching the rooftop carefully, and he raised his eyebrows upon realizing that Kanna had fled from the top of the building, leaving a glowing green trail of Bringer Light in her wake as she sprinted as far away from the rooftop, which Leona was still perched on the edge of in a rather precarious manner._

_The next second she was on the ground, almost too fast for Ichigo to follow with his eyes. Knitting his eyebrows together, Ichigo stuck the tip of his new and improved Zanpakuto into the sand around him, watching with mild curiosity as Leona pushed her tattered red sash that she normally wore around her waist onto her younger brother. The young Captain made a face, attempting to force the cloth back into his elder sister's hands, but she wasn't having it. Her lips moved, but Ichigo was too far away to hear what she was saying to the white haired boy in front of her. _

_Toshiro's lips also moved, but again Ichigo could not hear him. Byakuya was looking graver than usual, and Rukia was looking, if possible, more confused than Ichigo was feeling. Leona laughed, standing up and patting Renji on the shoulder. Ichigo could barely hear her speaking now, and no doubt Renji replied with some sort of almost-witty, half-baked retort that was meant to lighten the mood, but failed. Leona simply smiled sadly, nodding slowly before turning back to her brother, who said something about her sword. Leona shook her head, and Toshiro looked away. Was Ichigo hearing things, or did he say 'good luck'...?_

_Then she was in front of him. His skin prickled almost pleasantly as her fingers touched the flesh on his arm, and he couldn't get rid of the infectious warm feeling in his chest as his eyes met hers. The cloudy grey eyes that he had become so fond of were filled with something that looked like resignation, but he ignored it. He had to be mistaken. Folding was something that Leona never did in games, and she certainly didn't surrender in real life. She wasn't a quitter. She didn't like to give in._

_His thoughts stopped as her lips touched his; It was brief and fluttering, to the point where it almost felt like butterflys' wings. And just like that it was over, her lips once again painfully far away from his own. Leona blinked, his confusion seeming to amuse her a little, though she didn't smile. He could just feel it. He was in tune with her that way._

_With a heavy sigh, Leona leaned in closer. For a moment, Ichigo thought that she may kiss him again, but he froze when he realized that she was drawing closer and closer to his ear. He blinked confusedly, shivering slightly as her breath ticked the exposed skin of his neck. Her voice was so low that he doubted anyone else could hear it at all, and it was all that he could do to make out the words for himself. She spoke slowly, chewing over each word before releasing it from between her lips, as if each word was a precious secret that was only meant for him, and for him alone._

_"Kurosaki Ichigo," _

_She spoke in whispers, and Ichigo suddenly found himself ceasing to breathe, all of his energy now completely focused on hearing her words._

_"... You... will..."_

_Ichigo blinked, his eyes traveling towards Leona's younger brother, who was now staring down at the tattered and worn burgundy cloth that he held between his thin fingers. He held it as if it were a precious relic of someone long gone. _

_"... Always..."_

_Ichigo's eyes widened, his gaze darting between Byakuya's unusually grim expression to Toshiro's desperate staring at the singed cloth clutched in his hands. He understood. He knew what she was telling him. _

_"... Find... me..."_

_She was telling him Goodbye._

_She was gone before he could say anything at all, the words still forming on his tongue as the dust around where she had been standing settling around him as he stared at the empty space in front of him in shock. Where was she going? What on earth was she doing? How could she, why would she? Giving up was never an option, so why now? She had told him- She had promised. She had said that she was leaving Soul Society and returning to the human world. She had lied._

_'Kurosaki Ichigo, you will always find me.'_

_"Leona, NO-!"_

* * *

><p>Ichigo's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned as the early morning sun stung his sensitive eyes. He sat up, rubbing his face tiredly before glancing around the room. The place was mostly bare- He had never bother with redecorating upon returning. It wasn't as if people expected anything like that from him- Being stylish wasn't why he had come back. This was where he belonged more than anywhere else, now. It was as good as home.<p>

"That damn dream again," he muttered under his breath, pushing himself out of bed and stretching his muscular arms behind his back. The many years past had been kind to his body; Not aging too quickly was an added bonus that came with being a God of Death.

Sighing heavily and rubbing his eyes again, Ichigo attempted to get Leona's face out of his mind's eye. It was his daily routine; Go to sleep, dream, wake up, then try to forget it. Repeat. It took almost the whole day to get Hitsugaya Leona's final words to him out of his mind, and by then it was the end of the day and sleep overtook him once again- The dreams of the past took him... Again.

Ichigo groaned as he stretched his strained and tired muscles, shrugging on the standard white Captain's haori, which bore the symbol for the Third Division of the Gotei Thirteen. It had taken Ichigo only twenty years to become the replacement for Soul Society's lost Captain Ichimaru Gin. If one were to really think about it from Gin's perspective, perhaps they would have found it fitting. He had left Aizen's destruction in Ichigo's hands and left his life as a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen, after all. It had taken a good amount of time for the gloomy Izuru Kira to warm up to Ichigo, that much was certain, and the introspective Lieutenant was still impartial to the former Substitute Shinigami acting as a full-time Shinigami Captain.

With another grand sigh Ichigo opened the door to his room within the quarters for the Third Division, running his fingers through his hair as he left his room and marched down the wooden pathways that connected the various buildings to one another. Over the years he had become so familiar with the layout of the Sereitei that he sometimes wondered how he and his friends had become so hopelessly lost within it all those years ago- Even the girl who had lived here for who knew how long couldn't navigate the complex streets, but maybe that had less to do with Soul Society's groundwork and more to do with the fact that Leona had had no memories at that time.

The sun was glittering brilliantly, though it still hung low in the sky, casting all sorts of oddly shaped shadows along the dirt pathway on which Ichigo was now walking. As he stared at the sun, he briefly thought back on the last few years, as he often did early in the mornings before he came spiraling back to reality. If he thought about it, it had almost been too easy to leave behind the life that he used to know in Karakura Town and rejoin the Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen. After Leona's death, he had thought about it for almost a year. And once he had made the decision, he didn't look back. Maybe he had come here with false hopes that Leona would some day crop up in the outskirts of Rukongai, and perhaps one day make her way back into the Sereitei. Or maybe Ichigo knew that deep down, he was now more a part of this world than anything else. With Leona's death, there had been nothing grounding him in Karakura Town any longer. He could still protect his friends as a Captain. He could do it better. He could do it _right._

"Ah... Captain Kurosaki,"

The familiar voice of Hitsugaya Toshiro broke through Ichigo's musings, and he guilty turned towards the young Captain, who had suddenly appeared close to his right. The boy had taken the death of his sister rather well, all things considering, but possibly a little worse than the ordeal with Momo during the battle with Aizen in fake Karakura Town. He had been in an odd state even when Ichigo had arrived in the Sereitei a year later, and the carrot-top could only guess how he had reacted once the group had left him and Ishida with what had remained of Xcution and returned to Soul Society.

Since then, Toshiro had grown quite tall. Granted, Leona still had him beat by a good six inches, but Ichigo had to congratulate him on the amount he had grown in the last twenty years. Aside from that, he hadn't aged a day, nor had he changed much, aside from the fact that he had swapped out his brilliant white scarf for the tattered burgundy sash; The only remnant of his once powerful sister. Despite knowing better, Toshiro had gone searching for Leona's Zanpakuto after her death. Ichigo guessed he had been in a horrible state of denial, but even Ichigo knew that your Zanpakuto disappeared upon your demise.

"Mornin', Toshiro,"

"It's Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Kurosaki," Toshiro replied sourly, folding his arms across his chest. The tattered edges of Leona's sash fluttered in the morning breeze, and Ichigo almost laughed out loud. Multiple people had addressed Toshiro directly on the state of his scarf- It was tattered, ripped and burned, but the Captain refused to give it up. Twenty years older and a considerable amount more battered than it had been when Leona had entrusted it to him, Ichigo was mildly surprised at the white haired man's dedication to his sister. But, then again, had it been him, Ichigo highly doubted he ever would have stopped wearing it, either.

"You're up awfully early," Toshiro said, continuing their awkward and pointless conversation.

"I usually am."

"I know." Toshiro said swiftly. Ichigo made a face, folding his arms to mirror Toshiro's current pose and casting a suspicious look in the young Captain's direction. "What I mean is, I'm up early usually, too."

"Sure you do." Ichigo snickered. Toshiro simply frowned, tugging at his scarf briefly before continuing.

"Enough of this pointless chatter-"

"You started it." Ichigo pointed out wisely, but Toshiro ignored him.

"Captain Kuchiki has instructed that you make a visit to the human world." Toshiro continued. "He detected some strange Hollow activity earlier. Since your friends still reside there, he thought that you might be the best man for the job."

"Strange?"

"Not really." Toshiro shrugged, apparently not understanding that Ichigo was referring to the Hollows and not to Byakuya. "It's routine, we just need someone to deal with it. I am merely passing on the message." Ichigo paused, choosing not to correct Toshiro on his misunderstanding and simply going with it. After a long pause, Ichigo glanced back over in Toshiro's direction, asking the one thing that he had always wanted to, but just never said.

"You think about her more than I do... Don't you?"

Toshiro paused, not saying a word for a very long time. His aqua eyes, now so much older looking, gazed out over the dew-covered field that spread before them, his eyes squinting agains the blazing morning sun.

* * *

><p><em>"Nee-sama, where are you going?" he asked darkly, eyeing Hiori carefully as she slipped on her shoes. Hiori jumped, whipping her head around to face her younger brother, who had been hiding in the shadows as she prepared to leave.<em>

_"What are you doing up?" she asked waspishly, standing up and walking over to him. He shrugged, pushing himself off of the floor and walking over to meet her halfway._

_"You woke me up leaving that dumb note of yours on my pillow." he replied sourly, frowning up at his older sibling. "You've never been good at goodbyes... Or anything with other people, actually." Hiori rolled her eyes, crouching down to be on eye level with him. "How're you going to manage being in an academy with so many other people? You hate people."_

_"I'll manage just fine, don't be stupid." Hiori replied as she frowned at him._

_"What about me?" he muttered. "Just leave me here, with that dumb note and all you're money? That's nice,"_

_"You've got grandma, and you've got Momo."_

_"That bed-wetter can't take care of me." he replied swiftly as Hiori straightened up. "I'm always having to get her out of trouble... I look after her..." Hiori chuckled under her breath, closing the bag she had with her after stuffing in a change of clothes. She turned back towards him, meeting his eyes._

_"Look, you." she said stiffly, commanding his attention. "You're gonna stay here, and you're gonna like it. That's that." Her brother scowled angrilly, folding his arms across his chest, turning around and glaring at the ground. After a long pause Hiori sighed, touching the palm of her hand to the top of his head. "I'll come back, you know." she said softly. She leaned her forehead against the back of his head as he continued to glare in the opposite direction. "I'll become a Shinigami... Then I'll come and get you..."_

_"Promise?" he muttered, still not looking in her direction. Things were always liked this. As long as others looked at her, nothing changed. She was still icy, cold and dejected. It was only ever when they looked away that she changed... And he was the only one who she ever allowed to look away._

_"Promise."_

* * *

><p>"Perhaps." he said, answering Ichigo's question at last. "It isn't a competition. I'd say that maybe we both think about her much the same amount. We both loved her, after all... In our own, very different ways, of course." Toshiro added upon seeing Ichigo's astonished expression. "Don't be sick."<p>

"Sorry, but taken out of context you just said something disgusting."

"Don't _you_ lecture _me_ about being disgusting." Toshiro snapped. Ichigo's eyes widened, never before having seen this argumentative side of the white haired Captain. Perhaps he had just caught him at a bad time, or maybe he acted differently early in the morning. He guessed he'd never know.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you don't know, then I can't help you."

"I _don't_ know."

"Well, then I cannot help you."

The two lapsed back into silence, Ichigo continuing to gaze at Toshiro with an odd expression on his face. He had to admit, when the guy wanted a conversation to end, he sure knew just how to get it done. With a heavy sigh Ichigo shook it off, turning away from the Captain and slouching away, the large Zanpakuto on his back having absolutely nothing to do with his tired posture.

"I'll take care of the Hollows," he muttered. "Later, Toshiro,"

"It's Captain-" Toshiro turned to scold the orange haired Captain, but Ichigo had vanished, leaving nothing but dust from having utilized Shunpo. Toshiro 'tsk'ed under his breath, turning and walking in the opposite direction, towards the training grounds.

* * *

><p><em>The fireworks that the group had all met up to see weren't schedualed to happen for another couple hours, and the group had settled on walking and chatting to pass the time. Tatsuki was speaking avidly with Orihime, and Keigo and Mizuiro were both talking loudly about girls. Neither were conversations which Hiori was interested in partaking in. Chad was as silent as ever, though he was walking with both Keigo and Mizuiro. This left both Ichigo and Hiori leading the pack, walking side by side, hands in their pockets, eyes averted.<em>

_"... Sorry, Ichigo." Hiori murmured, finally managing to remove whatever lump had been clogging her throat, impeding her from speaking what so ever for the past hour and a half of walking._

_"What?"_

_"I-I said sorry, okay!" Hiori repeated, her cheeks now coated in a light shade of pink, which she could only pray that Ichigo would fail to notice. "I just wanted to say that I was sorry." The orange haired teen scowled heavily, meeting Hiori's eyes, which caused her to almost trip on her own feet._

_"What the hell- You aren't supposed to do that." he said angrilly, and thankfully the rest of the group was still absorbed in their own conversations. Otherwise, Hiori feared they would instead choose to listen in on theirs. And that could only be defined as an embarrassing experience. "I couldn't control my Zanpakuto. It was my bad... Sorry."_

_"Like I said... I'm sorry." Hiori said resolutely, crossing her arms and glancing up at the sky. Ever since her days spent in the cavern beneath Urahra Shop, every time she looked at the sky she couldn't help but think of Soul Society. Her home. She was going to see her home again... "I should have been more prepared-"_

_"That's stupid. Even I wasn't prepared for that." Ichigo frowned, copying Hiori's movements and crossing his arms. "Besides, who we should really be blaming is that damned Getta-Boushi. He dragged you into that mess in the first place."_

_"... Yeah. He's a fucking idiot." Hiori conceded, nodding her head in approval of Ichigo's statement. "Although I should have been quicker to react... I feel like I'm really going to get in the way in Soul Society." she mummbled, casting her eyes back to check, once again, that nobody was listening._

_"Yeah... Maybe."_

_"Hey!" Hiori blurted, rather loudly, causing Chad to glance up from where he was walking with Keigo and Mizuiro. "Not okay, you're supposed to say 'No, Hiori, you would never get in the way'!"_

_"The hell kind of fluffy Shojo manga did you get that line out of!" Ichigo retorted. He and Hiori were now going head to head, both equally as frustrated as the other. "Like hell I'd ever say that!"_

_"It's not fluffy, id-i-ot!" Hiori chided, prodding him roughly in the chest. "It's nice! Nice!"_

_"I don't do nice,"_

_"Clearly!" Hiori paused, suddenly noticing the eerie silence behind them. Orihime was staring at the pair of them in the oddest way possible, with a slightly slack jawed expression, though her face was flushed as if she had just stumbled into the middle of a lover's quarrel. By the expressions on Keigo and Mizuiro's faces, apparently she had._

* * *

><p>"Is this really a job for a Captain and a Lieutenant?"<p>

It was Rukia who had spoken, and Ichigo sighed for what must have been the billionth time that morning, glancing over his and Kira's shoulder to gaze at the petite Shinigami Lieutenant who had appeared behind them just now. The double doors to the Senkaimon had opened, the bright white light shimmering as the Hell Butterflies hovered just in front of it, waiting for their respective Shinigamis to get with the program and move on to the human world.

"Maybe not, but the request for me to go came from _your_ brother." Ichigo retorted snarkily, keeping his face just as unamused and severe as Rukia's was. "Got a problem? Take it up with Byakuya."

"I will not trouble Nii-sama with such things," she replied sourly. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Then don't trouble me with 'such things', you midget."

"Fine, then! Enjoy easily beating some first-class Hollows! Fool!"

"I will, thanks." Ichigo replied sarcastically, smirking over his shoulder at the raven haired woman behind him. Rukia returned his smirk with vigor, waving slightly as both he and Kira stepped through the bright light of the Senkaimon, allowing the Hell Butterflies to guide them back to the human world. No sooner had they arrived did the Hell Butterflies flutter off into the distance, leaving the pair of Third Division officials glancing left a right seriously, reaching out for any traces of Hollow energy. Ichigo paused, ducking just in time to avoid a heavy swipe from the paw of a very pissed-off and hungry looking Hollow.

The creature roared loudly, spit flying from in between its teeth as it charged forwards. From behind Kira, yet another Hollow appeared, repeating the first Hollow's scream before charging head on into the fight. Ichigo's eyes hardened seriously as he released his Zanpakuto from his back, the curved metal tip of the Zanpakuto that he had regained all those years ago gleaming in the harsh sunlight of the human world.

"_**Raise your head, Wabisuke!**_"

"_**... Zangetsu...**_"

* * *

><p><em>Grimmjow's words were cut off as a powerful kick made contact with his had and then his shoulder, sending him flying into the opposite wall in a flurry of shattered ice and rubble. Rukia turned, eyes wide, and Ichigo took several steps back.<em>

_"Rukia, back off, it's ano-" Ichigo stopped speaking, his wild expression faltering as he finally got a good look at Rukia's savior. Short red hair fluttered as she came to a complete stop, and a loud groan came from Grimmjow, who had crashed into the side of a building._

_"Hi... Hiori?" Rukia whispered, and Leona only smiled._

_"I don't call myself that anymore," she replied. Reaching for Jairo, Leona flipped him several times in her hand, glancing to her right and smiling over at Ichigo, who's eyes were still wide in surprise. "Long time no see, Ichigo." she said, but their little reunion was soon interrupted by the angry Arrancar in front of them._

_"Arrancar?" he spat, pushing himself up the side of the building with one arm. Leona just smiled, continuing to flip her Zanpakuto through the air before catching it by the hilt._

_"Yeah. Arrancar." she replied, and the next second Jairo was sent spinning through the air, stopping as it stabbed straight through Grimmjow's shoulder. The movement had almost been too quick to follow, but when Ichigo and Rukia's gaze was brought back to Leona, she was gone. Ripping her Zanpakuto out of Grimmjow shoulder, she barely dodged a swipe from his hand, retaliating by ducking low and ramming him in the gut with her head._

_"You're that bitch from before," he growled, grabbing his own Zanpakuto off of the ground and getting into a fighting stance. Blood still dripped from the wound inflicted by Jairo, but he seemed to still have plenty of energy. "Aizen said you'd be wantin' a rematch." Leona scoffed, backing away as Grimmjow took a step forward._

_"Rematch? I totally won that fight!"_

_"The fuck you did, you got a couple lucky punches in, that's it." he replied. Lunging forward, he struck her Zanpakuto with his own, pushing against her with his full weight. A static noise filled the air and Leona vanished, using Sonido to carry her to Grimmjow's other side. Still suspended in midair, Leona brought her right foot around in a powerful kick, the force of which knocked Grimmjow off his feet and sent him flying. Instead of allowing himself to crash land, however, Grimmjow used Sonido to get right back up in Leona's face._

_A powerful punch from Grimmjow's only arm sent Leona off balance, giving Grimmjow the opening he needed to slice at her stomach. Blood ran from the open wound, though it wasn't as deep as Leona had been expecting from someone with so much power._

_"You're Hierro's pretty weak, Indigena," Grimmjow observed, earning himself a growl and another stab from Leona. The tip of her Zanpakuto ripped through his shoulder, Jairo's blade burning and searing his skin as it sank through his shoulder._

_"So's yours," she said between her teeth, shoving him down in one powerful push. Leona took several steps back as Grimmjow pushed himself up, though Leona already knew that he wouldn't be standing upright in time to avoid what she had in mind. Forming her fingers in the now familiar gun-like shape, she pointed her middle and index finger directly at Grimmjow's face. _

_The familiar burning sensation that came with powering her Cero once again filled her whole arm, and Grimmjow's eyes widened as the amber colored orb between her two outstretched fingers grew in size, bolts of energy zapping off of it here and there, incinerating loose debris around her. "**ámbar brasa**..." she muttered, and the size of her Cero increased once more. Grimmjow raised an arm, and Leona vaguely wondered what he had up his sleeve to defend himself against this. Smiling, her Cero finished growing, and she jerked her fingers back slightly, muttering one last word before releasing the power of her Cero full force onto the Sexta Espada._

_"Bang."_

_With an enormous blast of power, the Cero ripped away from her fingers, surrounding the place where Grimmjow had been standing with amber colored light. Asphalt and other debris filled the air, and Leona's eyes widened with surprise as a strained cough came from the cloud of dust. Grimmjow was still alive, despite the fact that the place where he had been standing had now been reduced to a large crater in the street. Coughing up a good amount of blood, Grimmjow appeared out of the dust, his Zanpakuto still raised, though he looked a good deal weaker than before._

_"Ah... You minimized the damage by hitting my Cero with yours." Leona said thoughtfully, knitting her eyebrows together in frustration. "Interesting."_

_"Shit..." Grimmjow muttered, spitting blood onto the street beside him. "Dammit... Fuck you!" Raising his Zanpakuto, Grimmjow lunged towards her, his eyes wild with anger and bloodlust. "GRIND-!"_

_"Grimmjow."_

_Leona froze, and so did Grimmjow, who was now staring angrily at the pale hand, the long fingers of which steadied his blade with exceptional ease. The turquoise eyed Arrancar that Leona had first fought stood behind him, his raven locks rustling in the breeze leftover from the Sonido he had used to get there so quickly. Grimmjow's eyes went wide with anger, and he didn't waste a second with reprimanding Ulquiorra for interfering._

_"Ulquiorra!" he began, but the dark haired Espada cut him off._

_"Mission accomplished... We need to go." A bright light suddenly filled the space around them, beaming down from a rip in the sky. Leona smiled, touching the air behind her and opening a small window of her own._

_"I can follow you now!" she called warningly. Ulquiorra's face remained impassive, and Grimmjow simply snickered. "You can't just run off anymore! I can follow you!"_

_"That..." Ulquiorra began, his turquoise eyes never leaving Leona's. "Is what Aizen-sama is counting on." And then the sky swallowed them whole, leaving Leona alone with Rukia and Ichigo._

* * *

><p>With one final screech, the last Hollow crashed to the ground, a groan escaping its mouth as it deteriorated and moved on to the Soul Society. Both Ichigo and Kira were now breathing rather heavily, and Kira had a long gash running down the length of his left arm. Ichigo sighed, returning his Zanpakuto to his back before cracking his joints and stretching his overworked muscles, as he always did after a fight.<p>

"There were definitely more than I had expected," Kira muttered, returning his Zanpakuto to its sealed form and glancing around at the now ruined street surrounding them. "At least nine of them... And big ones. There must be something tasty here."

"That just sounds gross."

"I'm just saying, they looked hungry." Kira grumbled, casting his eyes downward tiredly in his normal manner. "Particularly so, even for Hollows."

"Yeah. That's true..." Ichigo muttered, glancing around. Out of the corner of his eyes, he suddenly sensed movement. He swiftly tapped Kira on the shoulder, nodding in the direction from which the motion had come. The two stared at the street corner for a few seconds, and Ichigo froze as he realized what it was.

Two girls had just rounded the corner. The uniforms that they wore identified them clearly as students attending his old high school. Their skirts brushed against their thighs as they walked, their schoolbags bounding lazily off of their knees with each step they took. The girls were speaking animatedly to one another, and it was only upon further inspection that Ichigo realized that he recognized them- Both of them.

"They both have strangely high Reiatsu." Kira observed, his calm eyes regarding the twins coolly as they passed them by. "I see... They must have been what the Hollows were searching f- Captain Kurosaki?"

Ichigo was no longer listening. The girls stopped walking as he sprinted in their direction, ignoring Kira's confused calls as he trotted along at his heels. The twin girls looked over their shoulders in unison, eyeing Ichigo with mild confusion as he came to a sudden halt directly in front of them. The one closest to him, with shorter hair, was regarding him much more calmly than the girl by her side, who was looking at him as though he were criminally insane.

"Excuse me," said the first girl, who's burgundy hair reached to the middle of her neck before stopping, the ends choppily cut and purposefully styled in a charmingly uneven sort of way. "But is it really legal to carry a weapon of that size around in a civilian area?" Her stormy grey met Ichigo's, and she looked thoroughly unafraid. For a moment, Ichigo couldn't help but laugh, almost snorting in a ridiculous way as the words left the girl's lips.

"... They can see us?" Kira murmured from over Ichigo's shoulder, gazing at the twin girls curiously as he spoke.

"Of course we can, stupid, you two stick out like sore thumbs with that getup." It was the second twin who had spoken this time, her own hair reaching mid-back. Those same stormy eyes gazed at the pair of Shinigami in front of her, but in an entirely different way from her twin. Her eyes were convicting, mistrusting, and angry, despite the strangers having done nothing to her. The girl with short hair frowned, turning to her sister.

"Don't be rude, Hiro." she hissed, elbowing her sister in the ribcage. Hiro made a scathing noise in the back of her throat, rolling her eyes. "I mean it, they've got swords."

"Whatever," Hiro sighed, flipping a few stray hairs over her shoulder with a flick of the wrist. "They're probably just crackheads who want our money. Don't blame me when you wake up on the street tomorrow and your wallet's missing- I'm going to pick up Kana."

"It's still early."

"The other kids are being bitches, I'm gonna go show them what's what."

"Hiro, they're only ten."

Ichigo and Kira followed the pair's dynamic conversation with genuine interest, their eyes darting back and forth between the pair of them as each one spoke in turn. At last Hiro shrugged, throwing her schoolbag over her should away from her knees and marching off, leaving her sister behind to fend for herself. The other twin frowned, muttering something inaudible under her breath before turning back to face the two strange men in front of her.

"So why _are_ you dressed like that?" she asked at last, her eyes looking Ichigo from head to toe. Ichigo laughed again, and Kira cast him a strange look, which he ignored.

"We're Shinigami." he replied smoothly. Kira blanched, clutching Ichigo's shoulder, which he also ignored. The girl blinked slowly several times before finally bursting into laughter, clutching her chest as she chuckled to herself. Ichigo's smile broadened as he watched her, her shoulders bobbing up and down and her cheeks reddening from laughing.

"Gods of Death?" she said, arching an eyebrow and staring Ichigo straight in the eyes when she finally did stop laughing. "Yeah. Right."

* * *

><p><em>"When you sacrificed yourself to save me, you weren't thinking about your 'Shinigami Duties', you did it because you could!" he said, continuing to point. "That's not what sacrificing yourself is!" He turned around, picking up his sword and burying it up to the hilt in the monster's face. It roared loudly, and disappeared a moment later. "I haven't accepted my commitment- If things get bad I might run away. I'm not a good enough person to sacrifice myself for complete strangers." Hiori's gaze wondered between the girl and the boy, not understanding the situation at all. "But, unfortunately I'm not trash that can live happily without paying back his debts!" He stepped towards her, holding out his hand. The girl took it, shaking it once. "I'll help you with this Shinigami thing,"<em>

_"What... The hell are you talking about?" Hiori grumbled, throwing off her hood and crossing her arms. "Don't talk about shit I don't understand while I'm still standing here,"_

_"Ah, right." Ichigo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You."_

_"Yes, me." Hiori retorted, frowning._

_"We really should use the Memory Chikan," the dark haired girl said, and Hiori back away from her quickly._

_"Hey, hey, hey. What the hell is a memory chicken?" she asked nervously._

_"Memory Chikan," the girl corrected, turning towards her. "It erases memories."_

_"No way. I'm not letting you take my memories!" Hiori protested as the girl withdrew something from her pocket. She quickly slapped it out of her hands, and it landed in the sand where Ichigo had previously been standing. Ichigo smirked slightly, his eyes settling on Hiori._

_"I don't think she's gonna let you do that, Rukia," Ichigo muttered, running his fingers through his hair._

_"I don't care if she'll let me or not." Rukia snapped, placing her hands on her hips and turning her attention to Ichigo. Hiori's face became more and more enraged the longer they ignored her, and finally she had had it._

_"HEY!" she bellowed, and Rukia jumped, nearly losing her balance and toppling over. "Who the fuck are you people!" It was quiet for a minute as Rukia and Ichigo exchanged glances, and Ichigo shrugged._

_"Well, I suppose... Since you can see us so easily..." Rukia murmured, her eyes moving up to meet Hiori's. "What he is... Well, what we are... We are Shinigami." Hiori made a disbelieving face, a scathing noise escaping from the back of her throat._

_"You're 'Death Gods'?" she asked, folding her hands across her chest. "Yeah. Right."_

* * *

><p>"Hey... Hey!"<p>

Ichigo suddenly snapped out of his flashback, blinking rapidly in an attempt to get the old images out of his mind, and to focus on the situation at hand. The young girl in front of him, who looked to be no more than sixteen, was staring up at him defiantly, her strong grey eyes meeting his unblinkingly.

"Don't just space out randomly when I ask a question, please."

"Sorry... I was just thinking about something a friend said, once." he replied, staring down at the red haired girl in front of him. "What's your question."

"I asked if it was a dare." she said, repeating herself. When Ichigo looked confused, she merely gestured towards his get up. "This. _That._ Saying you're Shinigami." After a long pause, Ichigo chuckled again, nodding slowly.

"Yeah... A dare," he said at last. The girl smiled, understanding, and she rolled back on her heels in a playful manner as she continued to take in Ichigo's appearance from head to toe. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Reo," she replied swiftly, smiling up at the orange haired man in front of her. "I don't give out my last name to strangers."

"Smart."

"I know," she replied fluidly. Yet another smile tugged at the corners of his lips as Reo nodded again, as if affirming her decision to withhold her full name from him. "If we see each other again, maybe I'll tell it to you."

"Well, let's hope we see each other soon, then." Ichigo replied softly. Kira made a face, which he again ignored, instead choosing to focus as the girl beamed up at him brightly. With a soft laugh and a wave of the hand, Reo took off down the sidewalk. As Ichigo watched her, it suddenly dawned on him that he may end up being more like Kurosaki Isshin than he had ever thought he would be- Living out his days in a Gigai to be with the human girl he loved. Maybe that was what was meant to happen all along.

"Ichigo-san," Reo's voice met his ears, carrying over the air from where she stood at a four-way intersection several yards away. "It was good seeing you again-" Ichigo's eyes widened and Reo covered her mouth, the apples of her cheeks reddening in embarrassment, the deep shade of crimson almost matching her hair in color. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that... It was nice to _meet_ you, Ichigo-san."

And with that, Reo was gone, disappearing around the corner, her red hair whipping in the breeze behind her as she skipped around the corner. Ichigo stood as still as possible, as if moving a single inch would make it all go away for good. Despite this, he was still smiling, listening intently as Reo's footsteps faded away.

"Are you alright, Captain?"

Not really processing Kira's words, Ichigo simply nodded, still reaching out with his mind to feel for Reo's Reiatsu. Even by just meeting them, he could already tell the two halves of Leona's old soul apart. Hiori and Leona were both here, living, each now able to have an existence all their own. He wondered if they now felt free, like they deserved to feel, but that thought was driven from his mind as he recalled Leona's final words to him, and smiled still wider.

Leona had been right. He would always find her.

_-end-_

* * *

><p><strong>The end!<strong>

**Can't believe that I actually finished this thing! The last multi-chapter story that I wrote took me nearly two years to finish, I never thought that I would complete this so quickly. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, and to BlueFox/Kira for loaning me her OC Kanna. Also, thank you to everyone who favorited or added this story to their alerts- 77 of each, so thank you so, so much!**

**To briefly explain this epilogue: This chapter takes place twenty years after Leona's death. Ichigo has now become a resident Shinigami in the Sereitei, as I've always felt the manga should end with something along those lines. Because, really, Ichigo doesn't really have a normal life anymore, and I feel like he wouldn't like living a normal life anymore, anyways. He replaced Gin as the Captain of the Third Division, but let me just remind my readers that this is 20 years later- He didn't just waltz into Soul Society and get made Captain. **

**Anyways, there are several flashbacks from earlier chapters in this story, but mostly this chapter is a resolution for all characters that Leona had anything to do with, though perhaps a little less from Byakuya than necessary... Anyways, Ichigo returns to the human world with Kira, his Lieutenant, and fights off a hoard of Hollows. Kira suggests that the Hollows were stalking some prey, which is later confirmed by the appearance of two girls with extremely high levels of Reiatsu. These two girls are later revealed to be identical twins, both having deep red hair and grey eyes.**

**Reo is the reincarnation of Leona, as Reo is basically Leo, but the Japanese I am fairly certain pronounce it as "Reo". Leo mean Lion, and so does Leona. Reo has shorter hair, as it was hinted in earlier chapters that Leona has always been partial to shorter hair, whereas Hiori always had longer hair.**

**Hiro is Hiori incarnate. **

**It later dawns on Ichigo that Leona's soul has split in two, and now both dominant halves of her soul have been given their own entities to live out their lives in. Hiro also briefly mentions a girl called "Kana", with only one N, which I meant for my readers to assume to be Kanna reincarnated. Maybe some of you are thinking "Why did the enemy get a second chance, too?" but she was only crazy and evil because of Aizen, so I thought it would be nice to return her to the story in the end.**

**Anyways, thanks again to everyone who reviewed, especially to my multi-chapter reviewers who stuck with me till the end! Be sure to let me know what you think, and if anyone has any ideas for a possible sequel (plot lines, etc.) be sure to let me know in a review, and I'll definitely think about it. I like to think this is the best story I've written here so far, so the thought of ending it forever is a bit sad, so I would be all too happy to consider new plot lines. But then again, perhaps not. Maybe it's best left up to a reader's imagination. We'll see, and remember to review!**

**Thanks for everyone who stuck with me, and I hope you all enjoyed the final chapter of Binda Blinda!**


	63. NOTICE: SEQUEL NOW PUBLISHED!

**ATTENTION READERS:**

**If you have not added me to your author alert list, but are interested in reading a sequel to this, I have recently published a sequel that can be seen on my profile. The title is Back in Black, and I hope anyone who read this will read that one, as well!**

**Thank you!**


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